A Family That Cares
by Crimson-Eyes26
Summary: After mutating, the infant turtles are separated after Splinter is captured by the Shredder. What happens to Donatello when he is adopted by a human family? DonatelloXApril later on. Contains family fun mixed with a little teenage angst.
1. Separated at Birth

Author's Note: This started as a what if that ran through my mind, and I had to write it. In this story, the Ninja Turtles are separated after mutating and placed in different locations across the country after Splinter is found by the Shredder. This is focusing on Donatello's time growing up and how he discovers his origins and looks for his brothers. Please rate and review!

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Chapter 1: Separated at Birth

_To My Sons_

_I'm sorry that it's come to this. The Shredder and the Foot have found me sooner than I thought, and I'm afraid that my time has come to an end. But I will not risk your lives. I shall make sure you are safe. I have befriended a young woman…no…she's not human…but she has agreed to help me keep each of you safe. However…the only way for you to be safe is to be separated from each other._

_Each of you will be placed in different locations across the country…across the world, if needed. I pray that one day the four of you will be reunited…and that there will be humans willing to show compassion upon you and care for you. My friend will make sure you find each other when the time is right…I just hope she will remember to do so…they may wipe her memory or destroy her. Forgive me, my sons… We will see each other again one day._

_Goodbye my sons…and I love you._

_From Your Beloved Father and Sensei,_

_Splinter (aka Hamato Yoshi)_

* * *

Why she chose this place was a mystery, but she figured that Shredder wouldn't think to find one of them in some neighborhood in Kentucky; he would probably look to the big cities. This was the promise she made to Splinter…to protect his infant sons at all costs. However, it was more than she could bear to separate the boys…and she had to make sure she chose the right places. After all…people had a hard time accepting mutants. She found a house during the cold night; a stone-based one-story home with two pickup trucks and some toys and a bicycle outside, obviously belonging to a child. Maybe a child already present would give this one a better chance of being accepted…because children weren't harsh critics like the adults that taught them to be.

A small whimper got her attention. She looked down and saw the one she had bundled in her arms was cold and getting ready to cry. She shushed him as best as she could as she quietly approached the door in the open garage, the most-often used entrance. She already placed two others in other states, and there were two left. Once she placed this one here, then she could work on the last infant. It was obvious from the start that the siblings didn't want to be separated, but what else could she do? Well…she would make sure they met again…maybe when they were grown up. Until then…keeping them safe was her top priority.

Placing a small engraved amulet in the purple blanket, she gently placed the bundle on the steps and frantically knocked on the door. When footsteps caught her attention, she quickly disappeared with the remaining infant. She could only pray that all would be safe…until she returned.

Inside the house, a blonde-haired woman groggily got up from her spot on the sofa and went to see who could be at the door in the middle of the night. Was it her husband's best friend coming over due to an emergency? Highly unlikely. Thinking it might have been a neighbor who had one too many to drink, she was cautious when she opened the door. However, there was no one insight, so she assumed it was one of the local teenagers playing a prank. As she was about to close the door, she could hear a weak wail. Her eyes darted down and she saw the purple bundle laying on the step…obviously an abandoned baby.

"Ch-Charlie, get out here! There's a baby on our doorstep!" The woman called to a further part of the house.

After a moment, a dark-haired man sprinted to the door, still in his underwear. He went to his wife's side as she carefully picked up the bundle, noticing it to be a bit heavier than for a normal newborn baby. Who would leave a baby on their doorstep? Was it a local teenager who got pregnant and abandoned it to cover her actions? When they peeled back the blankets…that was highly unlikely.

"Oh my God!" The woman shrieked. "It… I-It looks like a turtle!"

"Sandi, calm down." Charlie shushed. "You're scaring it."

That was apparent when the mutant infant turtle began to whimper from the woman's frantic cry. She quickly shushed it as she brought it inside, her husband following close behind her. She slowly sat down…and that was where she was able to get past its appearance and look at things more closely.

"…Poor baby…who would abandon you?" She paused and unpeeled the rest of the blankets covering the turtle to get a look at the gender. "…Oh…poor little boy…"

"What do you suppose…made him look like this?" Charlie asked, examining the turtle.

"I don't know…but we need to call the police first thing in the morning." Sandi paused and noticed the engraved amulet…and it had a name on it. "…Donatello? Is his name Donatello?"

A small, feminine yawn caught their attention as they looked towards a door leading to a hallway. Out of the shadows came a six year-old girl with messy brown hair and some of her baby teeth missing. She was holding a stuffed bear given to her by her great-grandmother and she stood in a messy, slightly-stained t-shirt. The child focused her eyes and gasped when she saw the bundle in her mother's arms.

"Mommy…I told you I didn't wanna baby…" She groggily muttered. "Is this a bad dream…?"

Her mother shook her head. "Chey-bug…we found him on our doorstep. He was there because someone didn't want to take care of him."

"Come here, Cheyenne." Her father ushered. "Come take a look at him."

The girl came forward, dropping her bear, and got a look at the infant. She let out a loud gasp when she was WHAT he was…but it wasn't a gasp of fear. Instead, she reached her hand out and touched his cheek, causing it to twitch and a soft giggle to come out of him.

"Aww…he's so cute. He looks like a cuddly little turtle!" She stared up at her parents. "Can we keep him?"

Charlie and Sandi looked at each other nervously; this was the first time little Cheyenne actually like the thought of having a brother or sister. Other times, she begged her parents not to have another child because she wanted to be their one and only…but maybe she wanted to keep him out of pity…or it was love at first sight. How could they say no to the little pout she was displaying? But they were financially tight at times, and they couldn't really afford a baby. Still…the little guy needed a family…someone who would accept him.

"Yes…we can keep him." Her mother answered quietly before showing the bundle to her. "Say hello to your new brother…Donatello."

Cheyenne cocked her head to the side, her messy hair bouncing a bit. "Don…a…tello?"

Her father laughed. "It's Italian…after one of the Renaissance painters. Of course, you're more familiar with Leonardo and Michelangelo even at your age."

Tiny Donatello suddenly opened his eyes, revealing maroon irises, as he reached his small three-fingered hand to the girl. Cheyenne couldn't help but laugh as she pretended to shake his hand.

"Hi Donatello!" She greeted as any six year-old would. "I'm your sister! You're my little bro-bro!"

Her mother laughed as well. "Bro-Bro? Where did you come up with that?"

"Dunno. Just came to me."

"Well if he's 'Bro-Bro', then you'll have to be 'Sissy'."

The six year-old nodded her head furiously, her hair bouncing. "Yeah! Bro-Bro and Sissy!"


	2. Like Brothers and Sisters Do

Author's Note: This chapter is a look at how Donatello grows over the years with his human family, but the next chapter focuses on when he's 15 and it goes from there. The first little tidbit here is based off a video I saw on AFV. Please rate and review!

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Chapter 2: Like Brothers and Sisters Do

"So let me get this straight: you were painting Donatello?"

Sandi was currently questioning seven year-old Cheyenne regarding a change in one year-old Donatello…most notably in his face. The little turtle was sucking on his pacifier as he played with a toy truck, while his sister stood in a messy shirt and even messier hair holding a tube of some unknown substance, one of her hands covered in white.

"Yeah, I was painting him!" Cheyenne giggled.

"And what were you painting him with?"

The seven year-old proudly held up the tube. "With this sauce!"

The woman took the tube from her daughter and read the label. She would expect it to be actual paint from her craft shelf or even Neosporin or Benadryl. But no…the label read "Diaper Cream". Why on earth would Cheyenne have a tube of diaper cream? She decided to investigate further.

"Why did you paint him?"

The girl smiled. "I painted him to make him feel better 'cause he's got a sore on his face!"

"He's got a sore on his face?"

"Yeah. He was cryin', so I made him feel better!"

The woman suddenly turned to the little turtle. "Is that true, Donatello?"

Donatello suddenly looked up at his mother, his face covered in diaper cream. Of course Cheyenne had good intentions, but she could've just come to her mother if Donnie was hurt. Then again, just about anything Cheyenne did, messy or not, made the turtle feel better. The woman suddenly smiled and lifted up Donatello, the turtle instantly clinging to his mother.

"Here, let's get Donnie cleaned up and we'll put some different 'sauce' on him."

* * *

"S-Sissy!"

Cheyenne groggily opened her eyes, surprised she could hear anything at all through the heavy rain outside. She looked to see Donatello at the edge of the bed, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"…What's wrong, Donnie?" The nine year-old asked sleepily.

The three year-old turtle mumbled and glanced away for a second before looking back at her. "I can't sleep! Too scary!"

She immediately realized what he was talking about. "Aw Bro-Bro…is the rain outside scaring you?"

Donatello nodded, his lips trembling. "S-Sleep with you?"

Cheyenne sighed; she was getting too big for him to sleep with her. But…this was her little brother, and she promised to always watch out for and protect him. Pulling the covers back, she patted the mattress and whispered, "Climb in."

The turtle smiled, showing his teeth and the noticeable gap between his two front ones. He climbed into his sister's bed and tightly hugged her. She in-turn wrapped her arms around his shell but wouldn't go to sleep until he dozed off. This would happen just about every night when a thunderstorm hit the neighborhood. The rain didn't bother Donatello so much as the thunder and lightning that accompanied it. She wasn't scared of either one…but whenever there was mention of a tornado, she freaked, especially after watching the movie "Twister". But she knew deep down that Donatello was braver than he wanted to believe…he just had to know it and believe in himself.

Whenever Donatello wanted to play outside, he had to be dressed in baggy clothes, a hat, and sunglasses so he would look a little like everyone else. Donatello was oblivious to it, but Cheyenne resented it because she hated people treating him differently. He just wanted to be like everyone else, so people should just let him be himself! Still…there wasn't much she could do about it…except to be his protector for as long as he was still breathing.

She suddenly glanced down and found Donnie snoring softly. He had finally fallen asleep, but he refused to let go of her. Not that she minded, though. Smiling a little, she rested her head on top of his and followed in sleep.

* * *

"Are you reading the manuals to the cars AGAIN?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Is that all you do is read tech manuals?" Cheyenne asked as she was studying for a test. "Honestly, you remind me of some of the guys at school."

Six year-old Donatello huffed and sat down the manual to their mother's 2003 Jeep Liberty Renegade. "Look who's talking Ms. Gameboy Freak! You can't get away from the PS2 mosta the time!"

The twelve year-old girl looked stunned but sighed. "I'm just sayin' that most of the time, boys your age would rather play in mud, dig up worms, and gross girls out. But…I didn't think you could read stuff like that yet and understand it."

The turtle smiled and showed the gap in his teeth. "Cool, isn't it? Over half of this stuff Mom and Dad don't even understand!"

"I'm good with tech too…but I don't know crud about cars. You could probably help Daddy fix the cars when you get older if you're that smart about 'em."

Donatello suddenly remembered something. A blush covering his cheeks, he pulled something from his book and carefully approached his sister as she was looking through her math book; her most hated subject. Cheyenne immediately noticed how funny her brother looked…and she had a feeling she knew what it was about.

"What's the matter, Bro-Bro?"

"U-Um…well…it's your best friend Anna's birthday tomorrow, right? I-I made her something…and could…could you ask her…"

Cheyenne suddenly took the homemade card from him and wore a smirk. "I'll give this to her, but I'm not gonna ask her if she'll go on a date with you."

The turtle gasped and then pouted furiously at his sister. "W-Why not!? I'm a nice boy! I think she'll like me!"

The girl shook her head and laughed. "Donnie, it's not that. I tell her about you all the time, and she thinks you're really nice. The thing is…you're half her age, and I don't know many six year-olds that date. Save the dating for the teen years; that's what I'm doing."

"B-But you'll be thirteen next year; it's not fair!"

"When I say teen years, I mean sixteen and above." She paused and turned back to her book. "Course…I'm gonna wait until I'm done with college to worry about a boyfriend."

Donatello's eyes widened. "You're gonna wait THAT long? Wait too long and you'll be a crazy cat lady!"

Cheyenne tore her eyes away from her book and almost spat out the piece of leftover pizza she was eating along with the Coca-Cola. "Wh-What!? A-As if that would ever happen!"

"I can just see you now! You'll have hundreds of cats and a stinky house!"

She suddenly got up from her desk and prepared to charge at him, but there was a playful smile on her face as she lunged. "I'll make you think stinky, you little turd!"

The turtle shrieked with laughter as he ran out of her room and into the hallway, Cheyenne following close behind. Once they got into the living room, the girl tackled her brother onto the couch and pretended to wrestle with him. She suddenly got Donatello on his shell and started tickling his plastron and feet.

"AAAHH!" The turtle shrieked. "C-Cut it out!"

"Tell me that I'm the greatest and coolest sister in the world and I'll stop!"

"Y-You know t-that already!"

"I wanna hear it out of your mouth!"

Donatello sputtered and giggled before wheezing out, "You're the greatest and coolest sister in the world and I love you, Sissy!"

Cheyenne suddenly stopped in order to reach down and give her brother a tight hug. "Aw, I love you too, Bro-Bro!"


	3. Coming of Age

Author's Note: Apologies for the delay, here's the third chapter. Donatello celebrates his 15th birthday, but he starts to have questions about his past...especially after having disturbing dreams. Are they dreams? Or are they memories? Rate and review.

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Chapter 3: Coming of Age

"You know, if you keep sleeping so late, you'll get your days and nights mixed up like Mom does."

Donatello groaned when he opened his maroon eyes and saw Cheyenne staring down at him, her arms crossed underneath her breasts. When it came to her, he didn't need an alarm clock; of course he was homeschooled by a tutor friend, since he wasn't allowed to go to public school like Cheyenne was. Now that he was older, getting up was a chore.

"FYI, I don't stay up past midnight unlike SOMEONE I know." The turtle muttered.

The girl just smiled as she leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Happy 15th birthday, Bro-Bro."

The turtle sat up in bed and yawned. "I'm 15 already? Time sure does fly…"

"I still find it hard to believe I'm 21." Cheyenne added. "But I cherish every one of those 15 years that I got to be your big sister and you got to be my little brother."

Donatello suddenly laughed. "Little?" He got up and stood next to her, revealing the significant difference in their height. "Who's the one who had a growth spurt here?"

The young woman laughed. "Very funny, but don't forget that I'm your ride to the library." She patted his shoulder and proceeded to head out the door. "Come on, I'll fix us some breakfast."

Donatello scratched his chest and let out another yawn. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"Oh…they had to run some quick errands; they'll be back soon." She suddenly leaned against him and put the back of her hand next to the corner of her mouth. "And just to let you in on it by a little: they're bringing back a surprise for you."

The turtle teen's eyes widened and he leaned in closer to his sister, placing his hands on her shoulders. "What'd they get me!? Come on, you can tell me! I'll make sure to act surprised!"

Cheyenne crossed her arms once again. "If I told you, you wouldn't be surprised…and you suck at faking surprise." She suddenly had that playful smirk on her face like she was keeping a dark secret or was about to attack him when he had his guard down. "But it could possibly be a sound system, an MP3, a laptop, or…"

"Agh, the suspense is KILLING ME!" The turtle teen groaned, placing his hands on his head. He suddenly took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before turning back to his sister. "So, what's for breakfast?"

The brunette let out a loud laugh. "You are SUCH a drama queen! Well, if you must know…" She started rubbing her temples. This was a little thing she did to aggravate him; she would pretend she was psychic and tell him something she was going to do for him…or TO him. "Hmm…I see peanut butter and banana pancakes in the near future…about five or ten minutes from now."

Donatello lightly punched her on the shoulder, earning a laugh from the young woman. "My favorite breakfast, huh? Well, if it's five or ten minutes, I'm hitting the showers. Those covers Mom put on my bed made me wake up in a puddle of sweat."

"Yeah you need it; you smell like Daddy after he comes home from a fishing trip!"

"I don't smell THAT bad!"

Grumbling, but at the same time wearing a smile, Donatello walked into his and his father's bathroom to get a quick shower before breakfast. Things got a little hectic for the past few years; their dad got sick and was forced to retire, then their mom was fired from her job, but it was a job she hated and she was absent for a legitimate reason. They were on a fixed income, mostly their parents' retirements, but unbeknownst to them, he set up a secret phone tech support service and earned some money on the side. As for Cheyenne, she mostly babysat and worked a few odd jobs to pay for college. Still, even with studying medicine, she always had time for her favorite brother.

But lately he started questioning things. For starters, why did his parents and his sister look normal and why didn't he look human? Secondly, why wasn't he allowed to go to school like Cheyenne was? He remembered how he used to cry all the time for her when she had to go to school. And then…why couldn't his parents find his birth certificate? He always had a feeling he was adopted…but he should still have a birth certificate on-hand. Those questions always bothered him, but whenever Cheyenne teased him followed with a warm hug, he would forget his troubles and realize how fortunate he was to have a family that loved him.

And then there were the dreams…

For the past few years, he was having the same dream every night. A human-sized rat had tears in its eyes as it was looking at him, along with three others that looked just like him. However, in the dreams, he was still a baby, and the rat was handing him and the other turtles to a mysterious girl with silver hair, accompanied by another woman with reddish hair. And the end of the dream, which he felt was starting to turn into a nightmare, he would get a glimpse of a figure in metal armor…

Donatello just sighed as he let hot water run down his body while he thought of his recurring dream. Was it trying to tell him about where he came from? Besides the dream, all he knew were his memories of his mother, father, and sister. He would ask them about it…and if he couldn't get the truth out of his parents, then his sister would be the person to go to; they shared everything with each other. They were especially close after Cheyenne got dreadfully sick a few years ago. It was an unexplained deadly fever that was there one moment and disappeared the next. The weird thing was that the next morning, she suddenly didn't need glasses anymore.

The turtle suddenly grunted when a little soap got into his eyes. He blindly reached over for a towel he had draped over the shower door for such an event and rubbed his face. His maroon eyes reddened a little from the soap and stung, but it faded after a few minutes. He could start to smell a pleasant scent from the ventilation system, a signal that shower time was over. He grabbed another towel and dried himself off, starting with his shell which was harder to reach. After he showered his skin always got so dry, so he would use some stuff his mother recommended.

"Come get your breakfast, Birthday Boy!" Cheyenne called from the kitchen. "Or I'm eating your portions!"

Donatello cleaned out his ears before shouting, "You're not laying a finger on my food!"

Singing to the beat of "Acceptable in the 80s", Cheyenne pulled the skillet off the stove and placed about three pancakes on each plate that was present on the table. After setting out a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee, Donatello came into the kitchen wearing a baggy t-shirt and pants. She was just glad he wasn't like the boys she went to school with who insisted on wearing their pants to below their butts because they wanted to be cool. The turtle sat down at the table and was prepared to dig in when he got a glare from his sister.

"Say Grace first, Donnie." The brunette reprimanded.

Donatello blinked before folding his hands together and bowing his head, closing his eyes in the process and his sister doing the same. In a soft voice, he muttered, "We thank you God for this meal and that our family is healthy and strong in every way. Bless this food in Jesus name. Amen."

Brother and sister immediately dug into their breakfast, and Donatello hogged the syrup as usual. As he was about to take a bite, he felt something prick his thigh. He stared down at his side and saw an overweight black cat looking up at him, almost pleadingly. The turtle groaned and locked eyes with Cheyenne.

"Chey, make him go away!"

Cheyenne sighed and glared at the cat. "Shadow, go to my room! You've already had breakfast!"

The cat begrudgingly left the kitchen and went down the hall to the brunette's room. Breathing a sigh of relief, the two continued to eat their breakfast. Donatello was as tall and skinny as ever but he was like a living garbage disposal…and he learned from the best; she was the exact same, as indicated by the number of plates she could clean at the buffet and not gain an ounce. The brunette sipped of her coffee before asking the turtle, "So, still planning on me taking you to the library tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I wanna check out a few books on some stuff. The computers will probably be full of the high-school girls checking their Facebook status…"

"Ha, you should see the number of adults who go to the library just to look at their Facebook; why else do you think I barely get on it?" She paused and stuffed a piece of pancake in her mouth. "What kind of books do you want? I'll help you look."

Donatello suddenly swallowed hard and blushed. "W-Well…I don't know why…but I've gotten interested in…well, don't laugh…but I wanted to find some books on…ninjas…"

Cheyenne stared at him for a few seconds before shrugging her shoulders and stating, "Nothin' wrong with that. I don't know if the local library has them, but if we need to, we'll make a trip to the college and look; I've got my ID, after all." She suddenly took notice of her brother playing with his food and looking down-trodden. "I sense teenage angst. What's the matter?"

Donatello hesitated for a moment before he concluded he was comfortable enough to tell his sister. "…I've been having those dreams again…the same ones every night…"

"You mean…the one with the giant rat and the turtles that look like you?" The brunette questioned. "You've been having those a lot lately."

"I don't really know if dreams have a meaning; I looked in some of Mom's old books…but I can't get a straight answer out of them! What are these dreams trying to tell me? Why do I keep seeing this giant rat and three other turtles?"

"Calm down and finish your breakfast; Mom and Daddy will be home soon." She sighed and placed her hand on Donatello's shoulder. "Look…we'll figure out your dreams together, just like we've always done. That's what brothers and sisters do for each other, right? Now eat up and I'll put us on a movie until they get home."

The turtle teen nodded and quickly ate up the rest of his pancakes before guzzling his orange juice, almost choking in the process. Letting out a quiet burp, he put the dishes in the sink and plopped down on the sofa in the living room, watching as his sister set up the DVD player to play "The Hunger Games", one of their favorites besides "The Thing". She soon joined him on the sofa with a heavy plop, causing them both to bounce on the cushions a little. With Cheyenne in college and gone most of the day, it was good to have quality time with the one person Donatello felt he could trust in the most.

* * *

"We're home!" A female voice called.

Donatello snapped awake, his head on his sister's shoulder, when he heard the voice of his mother. She stepped into view along with their father, the both of them carrying several bags…a few of them gift bags. The turtle started to get excited; they must've brought him something good! He and Cheyenne jumped off the couch in time to help their parents with the grocery bags, though Donatello caught sight of one shaped like a rectangle…

"From the smell of the kitchen, Chey must've made you your favorite breakfast." Their father commented. "Never thought you would fall asleep watching one of your favorite movies."

Cheyenne laughed. "Even teenagers aren't immune to falling asleep with a full stomach. Right when it got to the part with the game starting, Donnie conked out."

"Your cooking almost always puts me to sleep. But I guess that means it's that good…" The turtle yawned.

"When you two are finished putting up the groceries, sit down at the kitchen table!" Sandi declared. "We have a little something for Donatello!"

The turtle was having a hard time containing his excitement. Whenever there was a birthday, be it his own or his sister's, he would always be excited because those were the days where he actually felt normal…where he felt like he was a regular human being instead of a…turtle-person. He was busy thinking about birthday possibilities even while stuffing cans of soup and vegetables into the cabinets, while Cheyenne handled the fridge and its contents. When they finished, the two sat at the table and watched their mother bring in the rectangle-shaped bag and the gift bags. Donatello knew what was coming, an expectant smile forming on his face, as he saw the objects placed on the table. Sandi took the bag off the rectangular object…and it was revealed to be a cake that read, "Happy 15th Birthday Donatello".

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart!" Their mother chirped before planting a kiss on Donatello's head.

"Thanks, Mom." The turtle laughed. "This means a lot."

"I know we've been tight on money, but we were able to get you something." Charlie cued in. "I hope you like it."

Donatello reached his lanky arm into the first gift bag, pushing past the tissue paper, and pulled out something, which was revealed to be a new MP3 player. Well, it was most likely previously owned, but it was in great condition. It was even in purple, his favorite color! A huge grin was on his face, not noticing that Cheyenne was smiling right behind him. He sat down the MP3 player and reached for the second gift bag. The first was obviously from his mother, so this one had to be from his father. He reached in and pulled out what appeared to be a Bible for teens. Well, this would give him some good reading.

"Thanks Mom and Dad…you always pick out the best gifts."

"Well hold on!" Cheyenne interrupted. "I still need to give you my gift!"

Donatello tilted his head to the side; he only saw two gift bags. But before he could say anything, the brunette ran to her bedroom and came back with something…something large and in wrapping paper. He gingerly took it from her and sat it on the table to open it. Peeling off the layer facing him, he gasped when he started to realize what it was.

What he was looking at was a large picture frame with pictures already in it…pictures of him and Cheyenne all the way back to when he was a baby. One picture in the upper left corner showed her at six years old holding baby Donatello in her lap. Another showed her attempting to feed him while he was sitting in his highchair. One of his favorites was when he was four and she was pushing him on the swing in the park. A picture in the center showed the siblings covered in flour in an attempt to bake a cake, and there was even a picture of Donatello hugging Cheyenne while she was dressed in her high-school graduation gown. Finally, the bottom picture, which was the biggest and taken just a few weeks ago, showed them in a formal picture taken by a family friend who was sworn to secrecy. His eyes started to sting, especially when he read the inscription at the bottom.

_I don't know what my life would be like if you never came into my life. You're the greatest brother in the world and I love you with all my heart._

_To my little Bro-Bro. Love, Sissy._

He also noticed something else inscribed on it:

_We love you so much and we're so blessed you came into our lives. You are a true blessing from God. Love Mom and Dad._

Without warning, Donatello started to sob…but he wasn't sad. There was a huge but shaky smile on his face as tears poured out of his eyes. He raised up out of his chair and tightly hugged his parents and sister. His family…people who treated him like he was normal…like he belonged. He couldn't ask for a better family…even with those dreams of the other turtles, he wouldn't trade anything for the family he had now. A loving mother and father…and an awesome and loving sister…his life was perfect in his eyes; he didn't care what other people thought.

* * *

Donatello was fast asleep, trying to get through a stomach full of birthday cake. For turning 15, this was a good day and one he hoped to never forget. And for the first time in a while, he didn't have those disturbing dreams, despite how powerful they were. Right above his bed was the picture frame Cheyenne made for him…a place where he could always see it…where if Cheyenne weren't there with him, it would feel like she was still watching over him…

As for his sister, she was sleeping in her bed when her phone suddenly sounded an alarm, one that indicated she received a text message. With a groan, she rolled over to face her nightstand and pick up the noisy disturbance and see who could be texting her three minutes after midnight.

Her eyes widened when she read it, but then she let out a sigh. Another night, another job to do, she figured. She got up and got out of her bed clothes and into her everyday clothes…not forgetting to grab a duffel bag with what looked like a leather uniform in it. Cheyenne quietly tiptoed out of her room and walked down the hall, but stopped at the door of Donatello's room. With a small smile, she crept in to stand next to his bed. After staring at him for a few somber seconds, she leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"'Night, Bro-Bro. I got another job to do tonight…"


	4. Home Invasion

Author's Note: Donatello and Cheyenne are intruded upon by mysterious home invaders...and they mention people by the names of Hamato Yoshi and Shredder. Who are these people? Whoever they are, they pose a dangerous threat to Donatello. Rate and review.

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Chapter 4: Home Invasion

"It's very irritating that it's taken us fifteen years to narrow down their locations! Our master is known for being brutal, but I never imagined he would be THIS brutal! Not taking a break trying to find them…"

"Enough with your griping! Now…where is the closest location?"

"Hmm…somewhere here in Kentucky…actually an address close by. Typical…this one is in the mix with commoners and mountain people."

"The sooner we do this…the more we will please our master. Now get moving!"

* * *

"Are you seriously still going to wait for a boyfriend till after college?"

"I told you, education first. I have to make sure I can be independent; I don't need to have a man to take care of myself."

Donatello sighed as he took a bite out of a sub he and Cheyenne bought before coming home from town. She made good on her promise to take him to the library, and he was actually able to find some books on Japan and Ninjitsu. That and there was actually a computer free of the Facebook fanatics, so he was able to print out some articles. He still couldn't explain why he developed such a fascination with ninjas…but he felt like it was in his blood for some reason. He and Cheyenne were teaching each other Japanese, so that amplified it. The turtle took a bite out of a Dorito when he suddenly cried out in pain, placing his finger on his upper gum and drawing back blood.

"Donnie, you need to be careful with Doritos, remember?" Cheyenne lectured. "With your diastema, you get cuts between your teeth more easy!"

"It's just a little scratch…I'm fine. You don't need to worry so much."

"I'm your sister…I'm supposed to worry." She paused and took a bite out of her own sandwich. "Once we're done eating, it's our turn to vacuum and do dishes. We don't want Mom jumping down our throats…"

"Yeah…ever since she hit fifty, she's been unpredictable." Donatello cringed.

Their mother was currently in the bedroom taking a nap while their father did work in the garage, most likely on his beloved boat. Their cats Shadow and Tux were sleeping in their cat furniture, soaking up whatever rays from the sun hit them, while the siblings enjoyed their lunch in the kitchen. Since he forgot to eat breakfast and she only had a crummy protein bar, they practically inhaled their sandwiches, chips, and sodas. Donatello let out a satisfied burp before getting out of his chair to throw away the resulting garbage. Cheyenne also burped, louder than her brother, and threw away her leftover papers and bags.

"So, what do you want to do first?" Donatello asked. "I can take care of the dishes if you want."

"That's fine. We'll have to wait for Mom to wake up to do any vacuuming anyway."

As Donatello got the dishes in the sink and turned on the hot water, Cheyenne grabbed a bottle of Palmolive and handed it to him. He squirted a fair amount of the contents into the water and watched the suds form over the plates, bowls, and cups. He immediately grabbed a plate and scrubbed away the dried frosting as a result of the birthday cake from yesterday. The water was hot, and it usually made his skin dry up easily…but fortunately the dish soap was also good for the hands, so he wasn't worried.

As for his sister, she placed some clothes in the washer, put a Tide Pod in with them, and set the washer for a quick wash, watching through the door as water flooded the chamber. The clothes would be done in less than an hour, so she had time to watch some TV while Donatello finished the dishes. However, as she was about to step into the living room and grab the remote…the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her pupils constricted and her lips rose up to reveal her gritted teeth. When Donatello turned off the water, he noticed his sister in a tense position and went to see what was wrong.

"Chey…w-what's the matter?" The turtle asked. "Why are you tensed up like an angry cat?"

The brunette slowly raised her head in the direction of the foyer, her breaths becoming shallow. "…Something's here…something that's not friendly…" She paused and started to walk to the foyer. "Go get Daddy and go wake Mom up..and then go to your room and don't come out until I tell you."

"W-Whatever you say…" Donatello agreed, confused.

As the turtle went to go get their father, Cheyenne decided to make a quick trip to her room and get something…but she only got but three or four steps before she heard the door being kicked in. She darted to the door to see who dared break into their house…but it wasn't a common burglar or junkie hoping to get a fix.

Two figures in black suits with red headbands came rushing in at her, the noise enough to awaken her mother and cause her to peek out of the bedroom. Cheyenne was distracted by this when one of the figures tackled her and pinned her to the ground. The figure pulled out a kunai knife and held it to her throat while the other started to search the house.

"W-Who are you freaks!?" Cheyenne choked out. "W-What do you want!?"

"Silence, woman!" The figure spoke. "Now tell us where the kame is and we will let you live!"

Cheyenne tilted her head to the side for a second before she realized what he was talking about. Kame was the Japanese word for 'turtle'…so…these guys were looking for Donatello! Why did they want Donatello? Could it be…he had something to do with his winding up with them? But the sounds of their voices…she knew they intended to kill him…and she wasn't going to let that happen.

"Y-You're not…going to hurt…my brother!"

The figure, a ninja, suddenly laughed. "You're brother? You mean you raised it? Master Shredder will laugh at this!"

As the ninja was about to cut her throat, he suddenly felt something slam on his back, causing him to drop to the ground. Cheyenne coughed and held her throat before she saw who came to her rescue. It was Donatello, who was holding a broom but using it as a weapon, similar to something she read in one of the ninja books called a Bō staff. But as far as she knew, he didn't actually USE Ninjitsu…yet he was standing up to the ninja like it was innate. The second ninja came back to see what was going on before he could get to their mother, and their father arrived just in time with his rifle.

"Get out of our house!" Charlie shouted. "Get out and never come back!"

"Daddy…these guys are after Donatello!" Cheyenne breathed out before turning back to the ninjas. "Who is Shredder!? What does this guy want with my brother!? Why are you after him!?"

One of the ninjas laughed. "If you must know…we are here to eradicate the remnants of Hamato Yoshi…but a few casualties won't impede us!"

Donatello stood still and felt his eyes widen and his heart pound out of his chest. Hamato Yoshi…why was that name so familiar? The dreams he had were starting to come to mind again…and he remembered something else in them…the rat was originally a Japanese man…and he and the other turtles were at first regular turtles. But then…some type of bluish ooze splashed on them…and they began to change shape…that's when the rat appeared with the silver-haired girl and the red-haired woman…wrapping them up in blankets, the rat-man having tears in his eyes…

_'Goodbye…my sons…'_

The ninjas were so caught up in staring at the frozen turtle that they didn't notice Cheyenne running to her room and coming back with two objects…two loaded handguns that Donatello was unaware about. The turtle suddenly regained his composure and held up the broom to use as a weapon once again, and his father cocked his rifle and aimed it at the two ninjas.

"How can you put up a fight when you don't know a single thing about Ninjitsu!?" The first ninja asked. "This will be too easy!"

"If we waste anymore time here, one of them will call the authorities!" The second berated the first before pulling out a needle. "Let's make this quick."

Cheyenne immediately recognized what that object was…a needle filled with poison, a common weapon for ninjas, mostly the kunoichi. Why these guys had them she didn't know, but she knew who that was meant for. She acted fast and pulled out her guns…but unfortunately, it wasn't fast enough. The ninja flicked the needle and it landed in Donatello's neck as he let out a cry of pain.

"DONATELLO!" Cheyenne screamed before glaring daggers at the ninja. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

As the ninjas started for the rest of the family, they didn't look to see the brunette aiming her guns at them. They didn't have time to react as she pulled the triggers once on both of them. The bullets went through their necks, causing them to collapse and slowly choke on their own blood. The perfect retribution for invading their home and harming her brother. As their mother got on the phone with 911 and told them they killed two intruders in self-defense, Donatello suddenly started to feel dizzy, not being able to react as he collapsed onto the hardwood floor.

"DONATELLO!" The brunette shrieked.

Their father assisted her in picking him up and taking him to his room. "Let's get him in bed…and I'll look for something to flush the poison out of his system!"

"Daddy…" Cheyenne panicked. "When someone comes to remove these guys…we have to hide Donatello. They…they can't know about him or they'll take him away…"

"I know…"

* * *

The police came along with the coroner and removed the bodies from the house, as well as cleaned up the blood. Sandi and Charlie gave them an accurate story: the two men burst into their home unannounced, attempted to kill them, and were shot before they could attack again. It was a good thing they didn't search the rooms…or they would've come across the sickly Donatello. Cheyenne called up her friends Anna and Brenna to see what she could do for her brother. Anna told her that it was most likely a neurotoxin used on the turtle, and Brenna told her that the leaves of plants that grew around her home could be used to draw the poison out through his skin…but she had to be quick. She also made sure to ask Anna to look up information on 'Shredder' and 'Hamato Yoshi'…

The brunette sighed as she tied the last leaf to Donatello's arm before pulling the blankets up to his neck. The turtle was shivering violently and he was starting to have hallucinations. She placed the back of her hand to his forehead and found it to still be hot and drenched in sweat. She hoped that she applied those leaves in time. If she lost Donatello…she honestly felt like she would lose all her will to live.

"Donnie…Bro-Bro…you have to pull through…" Cheyenne whispered as she wiped his forehead with a cloth. "You can make it…you have to…"

"Chey…let's give Donatello some time to rest…and pray for the best." Their mother whispered from the door.

The young woman frowned deeply at her mother and shook her head, fighting to keep tears from flowing out of her eyes. "No…I'm not going anywhere until I know he wakes up…until I know he survives."

"But…"

"Just…just leave us alone!"

With a quiet sigh, their mother left, leaving the two siblings alone in the room. Cheyenne turned her attention back to Donatello, who was still convulsing. Those leaves had to help him…Brenna was an expert on plants and she was hardly wrong about their healing properties, and Anna was the best when it came to identifying bodily toxins. Donatello just had to find the strength to pull through… She suddenly turned away from Donatello, her lips severely trembling, and proceeded to fold her hands and lay her forehead on top of her knuckles.

"Please God…" She mumbled quietly. "Please…please don't take Donatello away from me… I know deep down…for a while…I used him… I used him as a way…to make myself forget about how much like crap I felt…I just used him to help me forget about my problems… I used people period…but I've realized the error of my ways… W-When I was little…I hated the thought of having a brother or sister…but I know…you made it so Donatello would show up on our doorstep"

She suddenly grabbed the turtle's hand and held it tightly. "W-When I first laid eyes on him…everything changed…a-and I realized even though we weren't blood related…even though we really aren't the same species…that he was everything I wanted in a brother…in a person…" She suddenly couldn't hold it in anymore as tears freely poured from her reddened eyes. "Donnie…h-he taught me how much life is worth living…that when things get tough…y-you always have someone to turn to…someone who cares… P-Please God…PLEASE…let Donatello pull through… Please…don't take my only brother away from me…! I love him too much…to see him die so young… LET HIM LIVE!"

Their mother and father peeked in and saw Cheyenne holding Donatello's now-limp hand and sobbing uncontrollably. She suddenly let go of his arm and threw herself over his chest, trying to make sure she could still feel him breathing under the blankets. Her tears started to stain the fabric, but Donatello didn't seem to notice. Charlie held onto Sandi as she started to breakdown in to quiet sobs…

* * *

Cheyenne awoke to find herself in her bed at around 8:03 the next day. How did she end up in her room and in her bed? She noticed she was still in her clothes from yesterday…so maybe her dad carried her to her room. Wait…what happened to Donatello!? Did Donatello live…or did he… No…she didn't want to even fathom that possibility. She leapt out of the bed and ran towards the turtle's room, hoping to find him in it but awake or at least still breathing.

The bed…was empty.

The brunette gasped and placed her hand to her mouth. No…this couldn't be. She feared the worst, that Donatello passed away during the night and that her parents called to have the body taken for autopsy. If he died…why didn't they wake her up and tell her to her face? Were they too afraid of how she would react? So much for being great parents… Yet at the same time she didn't hear their sobs coming from the living room. Why weren't they crying? She was about to go into the living room to confront them when she heard noises coming from the kitchen.

"Take it slow…this will be easy on your stomach." She heard her mother say. "Don't eat so much at once."

She suddenly thought of the trash basket next to Donatello's bed. Cheyenne darted towards it and found the leaves…all of them having dark stains on them; was it the poison seeped into them? Feeling her heart race, she ran to the kitchen to see what was going on. When she got in, she failed to hold in a gasp.

There was Donatello, sitting in one of the chair with a blanket draped over him eating some chicken soup. He was still a little shaky and weak…but he was alive. He made it through the night. He made it. The turtle was about to put another small spoonful in his mouth when he caught his sister standing in the kitchen doorway out of the corner of his eye. He stared up at her, noticing her flushed cheeks and eyes, and offered up a tired smile.

"Sissy…I made it…"

Cheyenne stood frozen for a few seconds before her eyes became watery once again and her lips started trembling, forming into a shaky smile. She suddenly lunged forward, almost knocking the bowl of soup over, and wrapped her arms around her brother. Donatello coughed before wrapping his arms around her and allowing her to lay her head on his shoulder and sob. Her tears fell onto his skin and plastron, but he didn't care; he wanted her to know that he was alive and okay.

"…I heard everything you said yesterday…" The turtle whispered. "If you didn't have such faith in me…I probably wouldn't have pulled through… Thanks…Chey…"

"D-Donatello…I…" Cheyenne mumbled through her sobs. "I…I'm sorry…I couldn't protect you in time…"

"We…we saved each other yesterday…" Donatello mumbled in return, tears forming in his maroon eyes. "They…they were going to cut your throat…and I knew I had to protect you…and you…you helped me pull through… T-That's what brothers and sisters do for each other, right?"

The brunette let out a small laugh and sniffled. "Yeah…that's exactly what they do…"


	5. Answers

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. This one's a little short but oh well. After the ninja attack, Donatello demands answers concerning the night he was found, and Cheyenne decides to share her findings on Hamato Yoshi and the Shredder.

* * *

Chapter 5: Answers

Donatello quietly sat at the table, playing with the chicken and vegetables on his plate but not eating any of it. He had been like this for the past few days ever since those mysterious ninjas attacked their home. Because of them, he had so many questions left unanswered. Who were those guys? Who was the Shredder? Who was Hamato Yoshi? What did they have to do with him? Cheyenne seemed to be troubled by those questions as well, as she was waiting by the phone for her friend Anna to call, not to mention she was doing research on a symbol found on one of the ninjas as well as a piece of paper she recovered with addresses.

"Donatello, what's wrong?" Their father asked. "You haven't eaten a bit of your food. Are you still troubled by what happened the other day?"

The turtle shrugged. "I guess…" He suddenly set his fork down and looked at his mother and father. "Mom…Dad…what happened on the night you found me?"

The two of them paused and looked at each other; they had been dreading this day but knew their son deserved answers. Breathing out a sigh, Sandi decided to speak first.

"It was a cold fall night, of course. Someone dropped you off on the doorstep and frantically knocked on the door so we would find you. When I came out before noticing you…I caught a glimpse of a girl with gray or silver hair running off with an orange bundle…and let me tell you, she was inhumanly fast. But there you were, wrapped up in a purple blanket shivering from the cold…and…"

Sandi suddenly got up from her chair and headed towards their bedroom. Donatello looked at his father confused, but he signaled to the turtle that she was going to get something important to show him. After a few minutes, the blonde woman returned…holding an old purple blanket and what looked like a wooden amulet. She handed the items to Donatello for him to examine.

"This is my old baby blanket…" The turtle marveled before holding up the amulet. "B-But what's this?"

"This amulet was found tucked into your blanket. Turn it around and see what it says."

Donatello flipped over the side with the strange symbol and noticed an engraved name…HIS name. The engraving clearly read "Donatello", hastily carved into the wood by someone. Charlie decided to be the one to continue.

"We think that symbol on the front is of Japanese origin…but we really don't know where you came from. We kept you hidden from everyone else…because we knew they would judge you because of what you looked like…judge you before they even got to know you…"

Before anything else could be said, the three of them heard a phone go off in Cheyenne's room. She refused to eat dinner in fear that she would miss a potential call, which was odd because she hardly passed up a meal. The phone suddenly stopped ringing and they could hear Cheyenne answering, "Hello? About time you called, Anna! What did you find?"

"Oh…I found a lot." Anna said on the other end. "I looked up the name Hamato Yoshi…and I found something interesting. Long ago, he had some connections with some group called the Foot Clan back in Japan. Apparently, the Foot Clan and the Hamato Clan were once allies."

"…Foot Clan? I never heard of them…"

"And get this: over fifteen years ago, a fire occurred at his home that killed his wife and his daughter…but they only found the wife's body. The daughter…just a baby…was never found."

Cheyenne gasped. "Was Hamato Yoshi…a suspect?"

"No…but he ended up fleeing…to New York City, I heard. The one they really suspected of the murder and arson…was this guy called Oroku Saki. There's not much about him…except he also had connections with the Foot Clan and he often fought with Yoshi over his wife."

"Anna…do you think this Oroku Saki guy could be the Shredder those ninjas mentioned?"

"…It's too soon to say, but it's a possibility. Actually…there have been strange things going on in New York for the past fifteen years. These incidents started happening around the time this company came around called TCRI. All the reports I've read talk about monster sightings and these empty canisters. I'll send you the links to some of the videos I found concerning these monsters."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that. Hey…see if you can look more into this TCRI…and find out what became of this Oroku Saki. I…I need to clear up some things with Donatello."

"Is he all right? I heard the both of you had it rough the other day."

Cheyenne sighed and played with the lock of hair resting over one of her teal eyes. "…I really don't know. I'm afraid he might be…well, scarred. I know he needs answers, and I intend to give them to him."

"Well, tell him I said hi. Maybe that'll make him feel a little better."

"Yeah…thanks again, Anna."

The brunette hung up the phone and sighed as she massaged her temples. Donatello was going to ENJOY hearing about this…that is, if he was finally willing to talk about it at all. Even though they were the closest to each other in bond, the turtle had been dead silent towards her for days. She summed it up to trauma…but she wondered if it was something more. With a grunt of frustration, she got up from her desk and proceeded to fetch her brother…but she wasn't looking forward to it. She was about to call out his name when she saw him still at the kitchen table staring at something…something that had been kept hidden for the past fifteen years.

"H-Hey…that's the wooden amulet we found with you that night…"

Donatello slowly turned his head to her, tears in his reddened eyes. "…Y-You knew about it too? And…you didn't even bother to tell me?"

"…Mom and Dad only told me about it…but I never saw the amulet myself. Over time…I just forgot about it. What was really on my mind all these years…was just to protect you."

The turtle abruptly stood up. "And by PROTECTING me, you mean keeping me locked up in the house for FIFTEEN freaking YEARS, not letting me interact with other people because you guys didn't want to LOOK BAD!"

Cheyenne felt a twinge of hurt in her heart, but kept talking. "Donatello, that's NOT what I MEANT! If anyone discovered you, they would've taken you away and put you on a lab table for dissection! If anything happened to you, I'd never forgive myself!"

"So protecting me meant LYING to me all these years!? I thought I could trust you!"

The brunette suddenly fell silent and abruptly looked away from her brother. Donatello couldn't see it, but he knew she was getting ready to cry by the way her shoulders were shaking. He wanted to comfort her and tell her he was sorry, but his anger was too intense right now. So all he did was stand silent and furiously rub his knuckles over his eyes to keep anything from coming out. Finally…after much silence between the two, Cheyenne glanced over at the turtle.

"…Please don't tell me…you're willing to throw away fifteen years of a good home and family…over this…" Her shaky and strained voice spoke. "Donnie…please… Do all those memories…mean nothing to you now…?"

Donatello stood shocked; did she really think that? He was hurt, that was for sure…but that didn't mean he no longer cherished those memories of his human family…the only family he knew. With his bottom lip starting to quiver, she stepped forward and tightly hugged his older sister, holding her so she couldn't come out of his grasp.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Donatello mumbled over and over again. "…I didn't mean to hurt you…I didn't mean any of it…"

"No Donnie…I'm sorry…" Cheyenne spoke in return. "We…We never should've lied to you…we should've…I should've told you the truth from the beginning…b-but even I didn't know the full extent of the truth…none of us did…" She paused and broke out of his grasp. "…Let's go out on the front porch…there's some things I need to tell you…"

The turtle nodded and quietly followed the brunette out to the front porch at the both of them sat down on a white metal bench that had signs of rust on it from the years and rainwater. The two of them never felt this awkward around each other, considering how close they were until recently. With a sigh and after wiping her eyes, Cheyenne decided to go on and explain things to Donatello.

"Anna called me…she said she found out about those guys Hamato Yoshi and the Shredder."

"What about 'em?"

"Well…over fifteen years ago, Hamato Yoshi lived in Japan with his wife and baby daughter. From what Anna told me…some guy named Oroku Saki was jealous of Yoshi and the two of them fought over Yoshi's wife, which they did for a while. Then…Oroku Saki set Yoshi's home on fire…killing his wife…but they never found the body of his daughter…"

Donatello gasped. "T-That's horrible…b-but what does Hamato Yoshi have to do with me? What does this have to do with the Shredder?"

"That amulet we found you with…the picture on the front. Anna emailed me some pictures…and that's the symbol of Hamato Yoshi's clan. So…I think Yoshi was the rat-man in your dreams… But at the same time…I think that Oroku Saki guy…is the Shredder."

"S-So…Hamato Yoshi's kind of like my dad? But why would the Shredder…why would Oroku Saki want to harm ME?"

"The most likely thing is…he still has hatred towards Yoshi…and wants to wipe out anyone with a connection to him…meaning you." She paused and pulled something out of her pocket. "I pulled this off of one of those ninjas that attacked us."

Donatello gingerly took the item, a piece of paper, and scanned over it. Strange…it looked like a list of states and addresses compiled recently. Wait…one of those addresses…was HIS. There were many marked out, save for two others besides his. There was also a footnote at the bottom that read "final one possibly always on the move" and included "look towards army families or entertainment businesses". The turtle pondered over this before a startling conclusion erupted in his mind.

"Chey…these other addresses…those could be…where those other turtles are. I…I might just have…siblings…"

The brunette gasped softly but nodded. "Yeah…but I have a feeling we need to find them first. We faced off against two of the Shredder's guys…but there could be hundreds spread out all over the country. We need to locate them and see if we can find Hamato Yoshi or anyone who knows him personally."

"But where do we start? These remaining locations are a long ways away. What will Mom and Dad think?"

"Well…why don't we start with this one?" Cheyenne pointed towards the one that indicated they were always on the move. "Now think Donnie…what kind of family would always be on the move? I'm not sure a military family would take in a mutant turtle so easily."

Donatello thought about this; she was right about the military thing. Now…what would always be on the move and never stay in one location for a set amount of time. It had to be something the ninjas couldn't keep track of, maybe because of people in general. It had to be something that would easily accept a mutant turtle, or any type of anomaly. It finally clicked and he snapped his fingers.

"I got it! A circus! It would have to be part of a traveling circus!"

"Right! And just our luck…the circus is coming to Lexington this weekend. We'll drive up there and see if it confirms our theory!" She paused and placed her chin in her hand. "To think you could possibly have brothers or sisters…I've got an extended family now…"

Donatello sighed and looked at his sister…a sister he wouldn't replace for the world no matter how angry he got at her. She wasn't even hesitating to help him investigate his past because she knew he needed the answers. "Hey…Sissy…"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Bro-Bro?"

The turtle smiled as he leaned over and hugged his sister's shoulders. "…Thank you…for everything."

Cheyenne smiled in return and closed her eyes as she gave him a hug. "…Anything for my little brother."


	6. Turtle Boy

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. Anyway, Donatello and Cheyenne find the first of his brothers, Michelangelo, who is a star in the circus. What happens when they convince him to leave the only life he knew to be with a true family? In the next chapter, we will introduce the search for a certain hothead. Rate and review!

* * *

Chapter 6: Turtle Boy

"Now you remember to call us if anything happens…and be extra careful to keep a low profile."

Donatello sighed and stood still as his mother straightened the collar on the shirt he was wearing. He and Cheyenne both discussed with their parents about what she found out and the possibility that Donatello had siblings scattered across the country. Since it was approaching winter and Cheyenne had managed to finally earn a break from school, this was the perfect time to start their investigation. It was strange to them that the circus would be traveling around before Christmas, but the siblings figured that they had a star attraction people wanted to see year-round.

"Mom, I've told you a thousand times. We're going to be fine…and we'll make sure to be home before Christmas." Donatello assured. "But by that time…we might have some extra guests to feed."

"In that case, we can finally put that table in the dining room to use! We haven't used that thing in years!" She paused and stared at her son, her eyes becoming bleary. "Donatello…I'm so sorry we've kept so many secrets from you…but understand we did it to protect you…"

"Mom…"

"Oh…the two of you have grown up so fast… I can't believe it's been fifteen years since you came into our lives…"

The turtle could only stay put as his mother hugged, followed by his father who came in a second earlier. After a moment, he returned the hug to the people he came to call Mom and Dad. He got so caught up in the hug that he almost didn't hear a car horn honking outside. Cheyenne was in her Kia Soul waiting for her brother to come on. There were two suitcases in the trunk, since they figured they would be away for a while…

"…We gotta go… Don't worry…we'll come back…I promise."

Donatello headed out the door and begrudgingly waved bye to his parents, breathing a deep sigh as he headed out to his sister's car. Deep down, he hated to do this…but he needed to find his siblings…no matter what. Someone needed to protect them from Oroku Saki…from the Shredder. Right now, even if the odds were against them, he and Cheyenne were the only ones who could do it. The turtle grunted as he hopped into the passenger's seat of the car and buckled himself in.

"All set? It wasn't easy getting these tickets." Cheyenne asked as she adjusted the rearview mirror.

"…Yeah…let's go." Donatello answered as he placed over his eyes a pair of sunglasses.

The brunette nodded as she started up the engine and backed the car out of the gravel driveway, their home slowly fading out of view. The trip to Lexington would take a little over an hour, so they would use that time to fuel up the car and grab a bite to eat if needed. Donatello made sure to dress up enough that people wouldn't find him unusual; good thing it was fall and baggy clothes would be normal. He knew the only reason Cheyenne turned on the CD player at that moment to play some Josh Groban was to ease their minds…HIS mind.

"Donnie…do you have that amulet with you and your baby blanket?" The young woman asked.

The turtle nodded and pulled the amulet out of his pocket. "Yeah, I got 'em. Why?"

"Well…if you have one, maybe those other turtles have ones of their own. If we show yours to them, then they'll have to come with us. And once we find all of them…we have only one place left to go."

Donatello suddenly stared forward and sighed. "Yeah…New York."

* * *

Needless to say, gasoline wasn't cheap in Lexington and the bathrooms were something out of a scene from the Saw movies. Of course Cheyenne was known to be able to hold it in, and Donatello wasn't concerned at the moment about going to the bathroom because he was busy napping in his seat. The brunette stood at the pump and waited for the pump to hit the prepay amount, holding a bag with two bottles of sweet tea and two orders of mozzarella sticks; she didn't trust circus food for concerns of botulism. The nozzle jerked when the amount was reached, so Cheyenne replaced the nozzle and the gas cap before getting back in the car. She started up the engine, which stirred the turtle from his slumber with a snort.

"We're fueled up and ready to go!" Cheyenne stated before pulling out one of the orders of mozzarella sticks. "Here, I got us some of these. It's a thousand times better than circus food."

"Thanks…" Donatello yawned before taking a bite. "Ah, hot!"

The brunette laughed. "Better let them cool down first." She paused as she focused on pulling out of the gas station lot. "Okay, let's go over everything again. Both of our phones are charged, and that's good because we're most likely going to split up and cover more ground. If you find who we're looking for, call me immediately. If I find who we're looking for, I'll call you immediately. The best place to look would probably be the oddities section, and hopefully we'll be able to sneak to the dressing rooms."

"Do you think he or she will want to come with us?" The turtle asked. "I mean, I know some people hate circus life, but others are so into it they don't want to leave the spotlight."

"After meeting us…I doubt they'll want to stay."

"…I hope so." Donatello whispered.

Cheyenne noticed how downtrodden he had suddenly become, so when they came to a stoplight, she placed her hand on his shoulder and patted it. "Hey, cheer up! Everything is going to work out; just have some faith!"

The turtle couldn't help but smile at his sister; she always knew how to help him stay positive in the bleakest of situations and always knew how to put a smile back on his face. He glanced away from her for a second and suddenly called out, "Green light!"

The human snapped back to focusing on the road and saw that the light was in fact green. "O-Oh, right! Gotta focus on the road right now!"

* * *

"Is a circus really supposed to be THIS crowded?" Donatello asked incredulously. "And during the FALL?"

"They must have a really big attraction this year." Cheyenne mused as she got out of the car. "And I believe I know what…"

"Yeah…" The turtle paused and pressed the button to lock the doors. "So…where's the oddities section?"

Cheyenne paused and got a map from a table nearby the entrance. They were currently past the booth where you presented your tickets, so she studied where to go from there. She finally looked up from the map and stated, "We probably shouldn't split up; there's way too many people here, more than I counted on. The oddities section is past the rides and prize booths. If nothing's there, and I hope something is there, then we head for the big top…the main show."

"Sounds simple enough…but let's try to be quick so no one gets suspicious of me. I've never been around this many people before."

"Don't worry…we'll go as fast as we can."

The turtle nervously nodded and followed his sister to the direction leading to the oddities show. He could feel his heart racing through his plastron, and he could hear it resounding in his head like a drum. He wasn't feeling this because of being surrounded by hundreds of people…he was feeling this because of the anticipation of meeting someone of the same species. Finally…he wouldn't feel so alone. He wouldn't feel like such an outcast…like one of a kind anymore… But…he started to wonder if it was really bad to be one of a kind. After all, he felt his sister was one of a kind, and it wasn't a bad thing at all.

"Chey…when we find the other turtles…do you want them to live with us? Or…do you want to give them to Hamato Yoshi…if he's still alive?"

Cheyenne paused; she didn't expect him to ask that. She breathed out a sigh and answered, "…I doubt we'll have room for all of them at home…but we'll make it work, okay? Now come on…we need to find them first before worrying about that."

Donatello agreed and silently entered the oddities show with his sister. There were a lot of people, mostly young children and teenagers, waiting to see the 'freaks' lined up to showcase themselves for a little attention and a few dollars. The turtle realized that if he hadn't been placed at that doorstep that night, he would've most likely ended up on the streets or in someplace like this. He knew about circus freak shows, and knew both the spectators and management could be cruel; he felt sorry for the turtle if he or she was here.

"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages!" The carnie at the curtains of a small stage announced into his microphone. "Be prepared to feast your eyes on one of our strangest finds yet!"

The lights suddenly darkened, causing Donatello and Cheyenne to huddle closer to each other. They truly didn't know what was about to happen…how this turtle was going to present himself on stage, if it was him, or her, at all. All they could do was keep their eyes glued to the stage and listen to the overweight and sweaty announcer tell about the 'star' of the show as a mixture of rock and pop music began to play.

"Found fifteen years ago abandoned near a storm drain, no one has ever witnessed an abnormality of nature like THIS! Was he born this way? Was he once human!? We will never know!" He suddenly motioned towards the stage. "Feast your eyes on the one, the only…TURTLE BOY!"

The curtains suddenly burst open and a green shape flew out, or rather jumped out. Donatello and Cheyenne gasped at what they were seeing; another turtle like Donnie! This one was shorter and had lighter green skin, bright blue eyes, and freckles dotting his face. He had on a cape and a shirt with the letters T and B inside a circle shaped like a turtle. Members of the audience either gasped, cheered, or pointed and whispered cruel words. Turtle Boy suddenly formed both of his three-fingered hands into surfer signs and stuck out his tongue.

"What's up, my adoring fans!?" The smaller turtle shouted. "Turtle Boy is in the house!"

"That's definitely who we're looking for…" Donatello whispered to Cheyenne. "I…I can't believe we're actually seeing him…"

"We'll have to sneak back to the dressing rooms after the show and talk to him." Cheyenne whispered back. "It'll be tough getting past any security, but we can do it."

"…Yeah…" Donatello whispered. "…I just…I can't believe…I-I have a brother…"

* * *

The show ended with "Turtle Boy" performing a few tricks involving a skateboard and doing several back flips to the music. But judging from the look in his eyes, the smaller turtle didn't want the show to end, but seemed afraid to speak out against the announcer. Once he left the stage and the crowd cleared out to go to the upcoming show, Donatello and Cheyenne knew now was their time to act. They knew that towards the back were some trailers where the clowns, acrobats, and freak show performers spent their time between events, and that's where they would find Turtle Boy.

"Anyone around?" Donatello asked from behind some carnival equipment. "Are we clear?"

Cheyenne gazed around the perimeter and found no one around the trailers, not even any clowns taking a beer or smoke break. She stared at the doors of each trailer to determine which one was the target, and found one that had a turtle painted on it. She nodded to herself before whispering to her brother, "We're clear! C'mon, let's hurry!"

The turtle and the human quickly dashed for the trailers before they could be seen and went up to the one with the turtle on it. Cheyenne made sure they were still clear before she knocked on the door about three times. Donatello bit his lip in anticipation on what could happen…

"Manager says no autographs!" A teenage voice called from within. "And you better not be someone with spray paint again!"

"Let us in!" Cheyenne called back. "We need to talk!"

The door suddenly opened, making Donatello yelp, to reveal Turtle Boy without his costume. Honestly, he looked a thousand times better without it. His blue-eyed freckled face scrunched up into a small frown when he stared at the young woman and the strange guy with her. He was also now dressed in an orange t-shirt, ripped jeans, and sandals that exposed his two-toed feet.

"Who are you guys?" Turtle Boy asked. "Are you stalkers?"

Without hesitation, Cheyenne and Donatello forced themselves in, causing the smaller turtle to yelp. He was about to scream for help when the taller turtle suddenly wrapped his hand around his mouth and shushed him. Turtle Boy stared at the two weirdoes with terror in his eyes. But then…the brunette smiled warmly and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. We're not gonna hurt you." She assured. "We just want to ask you some things."

Donatello slowly let the smaller turtle go and he closed the door to the trailer. The performer stepped back and huddled himself towards a large mirror used to get himself ready for performances. He suddenly took better notice of the guy with the human; something about him was…nostalgic. Cheyenne suddenly sighed and stepped forward slowly.

"What's your name?"

The smaller turtle blinked. "Turtle Boy, duh! You should already know that!"

"I mean your REAL name; Turtle Boy's not really that original."

"Oh…my name's Michelangelo." The smaller turtle nervously stated. "W-What do you wanna ask me?"

Donatello decided he would be the one to ask the questions now. He suddenly stepped forward in front of his sister to face the other turtle and gently began, "That announcer said you were found fifteen years ago near a storm drain. Tell me…did you happen to have a wooden amulet wrapped in your baby blanket?"

Michelangelo gasped and felt shivers go down his spine; how did they know that about him? Keeping his eyes on them, he opened up his dresser and pulled out two items that immediately surprised Donatello. The first was a slightly-worn orange baby blanket that had some dust on it, which Michelangelo blew off. The second…it was a wooden amulet with the familiar symbol on it: the symbol of Hamato Yoshi. He turned it around and the name 'Michelangelo' was hastily carved into the wood.

"H-How…did you know about these?" The smaller turtle asked in fear.

Donatello smiled and pulled his purple baby blanket and amulet out to show Michelangelo. The smaller turtle stared at them in disbelief before he locked eyes with the stranger. He stood frozen as Donatello pulled his hood off of his head and took his sunglasses off. The taller turtle felt himself start to shake a little…and he noticed the other turtle doing the same. With his eyes starting to sting, Donatello licked his lips and kept his smile despite it threatening to falter.

"Hey…brother…"

Michelangelo gasped at the word 'brother'…but he knew it was true, deep down in his heart; this was his brother, his flesh and blood. With his eyes pouring tears and his lips quivering severely, the smaller turtle lunged forward and hugged Donatello, choking out loud sobs into his shirt. The taller turtle just brought his brother closer and held him tight, not wanting to let go. Cheyenne just watched them, a smile forming amidst the tears trying to come forward; she had another little brother to call her own. But this was the easy part…now came the hard part.

"Michelangelo…come with us." The brunette ushered. "Donatello's not your only brother; you have two more out there waiting! Get out of this gross circus life and find your family!"

Michelangelo suddenly frowned and cast his eyes down, causing Donatello's smile to fade as well. The two brothers let go and the smaller turtle managed to choke out, "…I-I can't… I-If I try to go…the manager'll get mad. He says I'm his star attraction and he can't afford to lose me. He's basically the guy I've called 'Dad' all my life…but he never taught me how to play ball or walk or talk; he left that to the other circus guys."

"Well, that's not a real dad." Donatello argued. "A real dad would want their son to be happy…and I've always heard the saying that if you really love something or someone, you set them free." He came closer and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Besides, if he's treating you more like a meal ticket than a son, then good riddance to the circus life! You can have a better life with us! Two great, loving parents…and an awesome older sister to boot. C'mon Mikey…please?"

Gasping at being called Mikey, as no one ever did that for him before, Michelangelo thought about his options. He could either stay in the circus and have adoring fans but also be bullied by the manager…or he could go find his family and get to know them along with the brother that found him. Sighing but raising his head up high, the smaller turtle stated, "Let me pack my suitcase."

* * *

Donatello and Cheyenne quickly snuck out of the trailer section, ushering along someone dressed in a bulky coat and shawl. The circus life taught you many things, one of them how to be a good actor and another to be good with costumes. Michelangelo took those lessons to heart right now, as he disguised himself as a little old woman to avoid suspicion. Under his arm was a hastily-packed suitcase full of his personal belongings, so all they had to do was make a break for it.

"Are we almost there?" The smaller turtle whispered.

The taller turtle nodded. "Chey's car is just up ahead! We'll have it better with the crowd getting larger!"

Cheyenne grunted. "Enough talk, let's get out of here fast!"

The trio walked quickly to the red Kia Soul parked in the grass, hoping people wouldn't stop them. Once they got within yards of the vehicle, Cheyenne pulled the keys out of her pocket when a voice behind them shouted, "And where do you think you're going with my star attraction!?"

The three turned around and saw the overweight and sweaty man from the oddities section; he must've been the manager of the entire circus. He had a few men with him with tools to use as weapons against the would-be escapees. Michelangelo gasped and huddled closer to Donatello, who hugged him to his torso.

"I-I'm not going back!" The smaller turtle shouted. "You can't make me!"

"You don't have a choice, Turtle Boy!" The manager shouted as he pulled out a horsewhip. "You're coming back whether you like it or not!"

Cheyenne growled and pulled out one of her guns, aiming it right at the man's head. He and his goons quickly backed off as the brunette threatened to come closer. Her eyes flashed as she clicked the gun and snarled, "His name is MICHELANGELO, and he's NOT your SLAVE!"

"W-We don't want any trouble!" The manager hastily blurted out. "M-Michelangelo…come back for your dad's sake?"

Michelangelo stared back and forth between the circus workers and Donatello and Cheyenne. His heart raced; this was hard to think over. His memories of the circus flashed through his mind…most of which he had to fake happiness because it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. And then he thought about Donatello and his sister…well she was his sister now too. He glared at the manager and shouted, "SCREW THE CIRCUS! I'm going with my REAL family!"

Cheyenne smiled at the smaller turtle before turning her attention to the manager and his men. "Go find yourself another attraction to leech off of! Oh…and don't even bother calling the cops. You wouldn't believe all the stuff I have on people like you."

The circus workers apparently got the message and ran off, causing the young woman to put her gun back in its holster. Michelangelo sighed with relief and, to the others' surprise, lunged forward and hugged her tightly. He nuzzled his face into her back and cried out, "Thank you so much, Sis!"

Donatello laughed. "Looks like I've got a little competition on the position of being your brother."

Cheyenne laughed back. "Is that so? Well…two is better than one! Come here, little brothers!"

Donatello and Michelangelo both gave her a tight hug before the three of them got into the car and Cheyenne started the engine. One down, two to go. As they could finally leave the circus behind them once and for all, the brunette deep down hoped that the other turtles had lives much better than that as a circus freak show, only seen as a way to make money. When she was younger, she probably considered running away to the circus a few times…and know she was more than thankful that she ignored those thoughts. She wore a small smile as she heard Donatello, who rode in the back this time, talking with Michelangelo, whose voice had a much more chipper tone to it.

Now…it was time to find the other turtles…for her little brothers' sake.


	7. The Lone Wolf of the Windy City

Author's Note: The now-trio heads to Chicago, Illinois to look for turtle number 3. However, this area has had recent gang activity, and it seems this turtle has adapted to the gang lifestyle. Will he come willingly? Or...will he not go down without a fight? Rate and review.

* * *

Chapter 7: The Lone Wolf of the Windy City

"Eat up you two; you must be hungry!"

Michelangelo cried out in happiness and Donatello chuckled as Cheyenne set down a fresh pizza ordered from a local Papa John's to enjoy at the park. It had only been about a day since the brother and sister found the smaller turtle at the circus and basically rescued him from a lifetime of unwilling performances for shallow crowds. And now Michelangelo was referring to her as HIS older sister as well; did she attract mutants that much to her in terms of a familial bond? Apparently so, and maybe that would play to their advantage when finding the next turtle.

"Pepperoni, my favorite!" Michelangelo laughed as he took a bite. "You're the best, Sis!"

"You can call her Sissy if you want." Donatello chimed in with a full mouth. "That's what I call her, and she calls me Bro-Bro."

Michelangelo shrugged and burped after literally inhaling a piece of pizza. "Eh, I'll just call her Sis and call you Bro…or Donnie…or whatever you like! I'm just glad I got you guys at all! I'm not ever gonna miss the circus!"

"That's good to hear!" The taller turtle smiled before turning to their sister. "Hey Sissy…what's our next location?"

Cheyenne grabbed a slice of pizza that had both pepperoni and mushrooms before she pulled the piece of paper with the addresses on it and studied it. She checked off Michelangelo, so there were only two locations left. They were still in Kentucky, so the closest one was…

"Oh boy…" She muttered.

Donatello and Michelangelo put down their pizza slices and looked at her. "What's wrong?" The smaller turtle asked.

The brunette showed them the paper. "According to this…the next location is Chicago, Illinois."

"What's so bad about it?"

Donatello stared at Michelangelo wide-eyed. "Dude, that place is DANGEROUS! There's been a lot of crime there lately, specifically GANG activity! If we go down there, there's no telling what'll happen!" He placed his head in his hand and sighed. "I just hope our other brother or our sister isn't caught up in it…"

"Well, no matter what happens, we'll bring them back safe and sound!" Cheyenne declared with great confidence. "Let's head out in about an hour and go straight there! Once night falls, we'll have to sleep in the car 'cause the motel workers might not allow two mutants and a girl wielding two loaded pistols. I brought along some blankets and pillows just for that. Then the following morning, we'll have breakfast and we should get to Chicago by the end of the day."

"Whoa…you really planned all this out?" Michelangelo asked in awe.

The brunette smiled. "Well, duh! You always have to be prepared for everything!" She suddenly grabbed another pizza slice. "Now you boys eat your lunch or I'm gonna eat it all!"

Donatello and Michelangelo shot up off of their seats. "HEY, NO FAIR!"

* * *

Donatello shifted uncomfortably in his spot in the back seat, being careful not to disturb Michelangelo or Cheyenne. As promised, they drove out until about ten o'clock at night, where she parked in a vacant lot and pulled out thick blankets and pillows to get them through until morning. For his height, having to sleep in a Kia Soul was easier said than done; sometimes he wished he was shorter, like his sister. The doors in the vehicle were locked and Cheyenne was asleep in the driver's seat, her black cap covering her eyes and her face buried in the fur of her jacket collar. Michelangelo didn't seem to be bothered by the cramp space, as he had his head smooshed against the window and he emitted soft snores.

With a quiet sigh, the taller turtle stared up at the starry sky through the glass as he tried to force himself to go to sleep. His eyes were about to close when he began to hear whimpers next to him. He raised up a little and found Michelangelo squirming in his sleep, his eyes squeezed shut. Donatello leaned forward and gently shook his brother's shoulder.

"Mikey…Mikey…wake up." Donatello whispered. "Mikey, you're having a bad dream, wake up."

The smaller turtle slowly opened his eyes and saw his brother staring down at him. His lips formed into a deep frown before he whispered back, "…D-Donnie…I-I dreamt that my old dad came after us…a-and he had the horsewhip…"

Donatello shushed him when he was threatening to cry. The taller turtle proceeded to pull his brother close and hug him, making sure he still had the blankets covering him. "Hey…he's not gonna hurt you anymore, okay? You're safe with us…we're not gonna let anything happen to you."

Michelangelo smiled wearily before his blue eyes went to the driver's seat. "Hey…what was life like with Sis growing up?"

Donatello blinked his maroon eyes before he decided to explain. "Well…those were some of the best years of my life. We used to get in all sorts of mischief…and she always stood up for me when neighborhood kids called me a freak; that neighborhood was full of mean kids anyway." He suddenly paused and laughed. "I remember when I was four…she saw some kids picking on me…so she took a tennis racket and hit them all in the face, threatening to take it to their butts. They all ran home crying to their moms…and she noticed I had a scrape on my cheek, so she kissed it to make it all better."

The smaller turtle laughed softly. "Wow…she really IS cool… Where has she been all my life?"

"Well…she's here now…and she'll always be there…" Donatello wrapped the blankets around himself and his brother. "Come on…let's get some sleep…we have a big day tomorrow…"

In the driver's seat, Cheyenne was still asleep, but once she could hear the two turtles snoring, she opened her eyes halfway and a small smile formed on her lips. She quietly climbed out of the seat and leaned over them, planting a kiss on each of their heads. She proceeded to get back in her seat and fall back to sleep, preparing for the morning.

* * *

"Michelangelo, are you sure you're all right?" Cheyenne asked from the driver's seat. "That's the third time in a row you had to go to the bathroom."

Michelangelo moaned. "That breakfast sandwich…I think it went right through me…"

Donatello grimaced and waved his hand in the air. "I'll say! Chey, could you crack a window or something?"

Suddenly noticing an unpleasant odor, the brunette held her breath as she pressed a button to lower the windows in the back, despite the cold air of approaching winter. She exhaled deeply and muttered, "Okay, that's the last time we order breakfast sandwiches at Hardees; those do go right through you, especially if you order soda! Good thing me and Donnie got tea…"

The smaller turtle blushed in embarrassment. "I shouldn't have ordered Mountain Dew, huh?"

"Don't worry about it Mikey…it happens to everybody…" Donatello assured, finally able to breathe again.

Cheyenne stared at some electronic signs displayed on an overpass and glanced at the turtles through the rearview mirror. "Well hopefully, you won't have any more episodes of indigestion…we're almost in Illinois. So we should reach Chicago this evening…"

"And as soon as we arrive is when we'll start our search, right?" The taller turtle asked. "From what that address said…it's in the seedier neighborhoods…"

"Yeah…for the past few years, there's been a lot of abandoned buildings…perfect gang hideouts." Cheyenne nodded. "But don't worry…no one's gonna hurt you two as long as I'm around."

Michelangelo gulped at the mention of gangs. "Oh man…I hope we don't run into any gangs… Back in the circus…some kids in gangs would come around…but they were only there to steal money from the booths and throw beer bottles at the performers…myself included!"

"That's horrible!" Donatello gasped. "But hey…like Chey said, she's going to protect us, so don't worry Mikey."

* * *

There was a bit of heavy traffic coming into Chicago, and Cheyenne was careful to control whatever road rage was building up inside her because she didn't want to set a bad example in front of Donatello and Michelangelo. The pileup finally cleared after half an hour and the trio made it to the address…or at least the vicinity of the address. As it turned out, the address was to a long-abandoned building, marked for eventual demolition. Unfortunately, the demolition would have to wait because of the miscreants occupying them and using them for activities such as drug trades and hazing parties.

"This is it guys…" Cheyenne stated as she stepped out of and locked the car. "Stay close to me, okay?"

"We will…" Donatello promised as he took hold of Michelangelo's hand. "Let's go, Mikey."

Michelangelo nodded and huddled himself closer to the taller turtle and the brunette. The area around here was hazy and hard to breathe in, most likely due to a nuclear plant nearby that expelled heavy smoke, making the sky gray and dreary. Graffiti was hard to miss, as it was on almost every wall of almost every building, and there were various empty beer bottle and cigarette butts littering the ground. For a moment, Cheyenne swore she spotted some dried blood on the ground…possibly from a rival or initiation fight. She could feel the boys getting nervous, so she offered them a smile to show them that she was right there.

And then she saw something…or rather someone.

On a concrete wall, dressed in a black hoodie, was a strange figure, smoke emitting from the inside of the hood. There was an opened beer bottle sitting next to them…and from what she could see, a switchblade. Gang members usually stuck close together; what was this one doing all alone out in the open? She ushered the boys along…and had her pistols ready if needed. She had no idea what this person could be fully capable of…and she didn't want to put Donatello and Michelangelo in danger…

"Hey…YOU!" The brunette called to the figure. "Get down from there! I'd like to ask you a few questions!"

The figure took a cigarette from their mouth, their face still vague, and exhaled smoke before grabbing the beer bottle and switchblade and hopping down from the wall. Donatello and Michelangelo gulped; this person was really sending out an unfriendly aura. As for Cheyenne, she just kept her teal eyes glued to the stranger, making sure he didn't pull anything.

"Whaddya want, ya old hag?" The figure asked.

Cheyenne crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "My, aren't you polite? If you don't mind, we're looking for someone and we want to know whatever info you have."

"I got nothin' to tell you; leave me alone."

The brunette sighed but then her eyes widened. She got a better look at this kid's face from underneath his hood…and she could clearly see green skin…GREEN SKIN. She placed her hands on her hips and chuckled. "Actually…I believe YOU'RE the person we're looking for…a mutant turtle."

The figure gasped before growling and chugging down the contents remaining in his beer bottle. After the amber liquid was depleted, he threw the Coors bottle to the ground with a loud smash and shattering glass, causing Donatello and Michelangelo to jump back with a yelp. He proceeded to throw his cigarette to the ground…and that's when he decided to take off his hood and reveal his face.

What the three were looking at was a third mutant turtle, this one with darker green skin and piercing green eyes. His head and face was sharper than the others', and his lips were fixated into a scowl. Cheyenne tightened her hands into fists…because she immediately knew he was looking for a fight.

"What, are you comin' to brawl with me, too!?" The angry mutant threatened. "I'll cut you to pieces!"

The brunette looked at her brothers. "Donatello, Michelangelo…stay back… This little boy needs a good spanking."

The young brute let out a loud laugh as he brought out the blade in his knife. "Yer a funny one, ya know that? I might actually miss that pretty face of yours before I slash it!"

"Hmph…you're just bluffing…you don't have it in you."

The third turtle roared and charged forward, taking his knife and swinging it at the young woman. Donatello and Michelangelo screamed, thinking that she was seriously hurt and that they were next. Instead, Cheyenne's upper body swayed back a little before she stood straight…but it was revealed she had a deep gash in her cheek. And then something strange happened… Instead of drawing back and crying out in pain…she let out a deep chuckle and licked the blood off of her cheek.

"My…you're good!" She commented as she wiped her cheek with her hand. "You really wanna mess with me? I'm warning you…I'm GOOD."

The ruffian didn't care; he was going to put some slits in her whether she liked it or not. But the three turtles were about to realize that there was more to her than they thought they knew. When the third turtle charged, the brunette immediately dodged his knife and knocked it out of his hand. She proceeded to grab his arm and twist it, causing him to cry out in pain. In a flash, she pinned him to the ground and forced both of his arms behind his back, but she had both arms slightly twisted in order to cause discomfort.

"Now did it really have to come to this?" Cheyenne asked, her voice serious again. "If you just cooperated, you wouldn't be pinned to the ground by a GIRL."

The angry mutant snarled. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?"

Cheyenne looked up at her brothers. "Donnie…Mikey…come here…come talk to him…"

At first hesitant, Donatello and Michelangelo came forward and knelt down in front of the third turtle, locking eyes with him despite the fact he still snarled at them. Nodding to each other, Donatello removed his hood and Michelangelo removed his cap and bandanna. When he saw their full faces…the angry mutant slowly calmed down and just stared at them in awe…

"…I…don't understand…" The third turtle panted. "I'm…I'm not the only one…?"

Donatello smiled shyly and waved his hand in front of him. "Nope…there's more of you… I'm Donatello. You've already met my sister, Cheyenne."

"I-I'm Michelangelo…" The smaller turtle nervously greeted. "You must be our other brother…"

Cheyenne slowly started to let go of the third turtle as she asked him, "So…what's YOUR name?"

Even with his arms free, the third turtle stayed on the ground, both because he was in shock and because his struggling caused him to be exhausted. With a pained scowl, he stared up at the brunette with bleary green eyes and muttered out, "…My name's Raphael…"

"Raphael…that's a very nice name…" Cheyenne knelt down and offered her hand to him. "Take us where you live…we need to have a long talk…"

* * *

"You mean to tell me you've been living by yourself for the past two years!?" Cheyenne asked incredulously.

Raphael solemnly nodded as he brought out a pet turtle he kept in a glass bowl and petted it. "Yeah… I actually had a great Mom…real nice…real protective…until one day…she was killed in a drive-by shooting…"

Donatello gasped. "Oh man…I-I'm so sorry…"

Michelangelo noticed the tattered blankets on the stained bed and asked the third turtle, "How'd you manage to survive this long alone?"

Raphael shrugged. " I do what I can to survive…even if it means bending the laws… The only reason you might've thought I'd be associated with gangs…well…I kinda joined one…but only to find the SOB that killed my mom and take him down…"

The taller turtle came forward and sat down next to the darker turtle. "Raphael…what happened to you was bad…but revenge isn't the answer; it won't make anything better." He paused and folded his hands in his lap, none of them noticing Cheyenne going towards a dilapidated chest of drawers. "I can't understand losing a parent…but I do know that stooping down to the level of the person that didn't never works out…"

"But…but she was my mother…and I loved her…" He took notice of the brunette rummaging through the drawers. His temper flared as he placed his pet turtle back in its terrarium, getting up and shouting, "What the hell are you doing!? Get out of my stuff!"

Cheyenne turned around, now holding a worn red blanket and a familiar-looking wooden amulet with the symbol of Hamato Yoshi and the name 'Raphael' carved into it. "Sorry…I just needed to find these to confirm things…" She turned to Donatello and Michelangelo. "This is your brother, all right! Now we have one more to go!"

"One more to go?" Raphael asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Raphael…you're Donatello and Michelangelo's brother…and you guys have one more brother out there somewhere… Please…come with us…so the four of you can be together again…"

The darker turtle frowned and sharply turned away from the young woman; she was asking him to pick up and leave all of a sudden? No…he couldn't…not after… "I…can't… If I leave here…how am I gonna make it? I can't just…abandon my mother's memory…"

"Your mother wouldn't want you to live like this; she would want you to find peace…and be happy…" She paused and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Besides…you can come stay with us. You'll have a warm place to sleep…plenty of food…and most of all…a loving family; your pet turtle can even stay with us too! Please Raphael…give up this life on the edge…look for something better…"

Raphael bit his lip…this was a hard choice. He could keep living the way he was living, not having to depend on anyone else but suffering the pain of isolation…or he could go with these weirdoes who were also family…and actually have a chance at life. Deep down in his heart…he knew what he had to do…what his mom would've wanted him to do. Lifting his head up, he stared the brunette deep in her eyes and stated, "…I'm coming with you."

Cheyenne smiled. "Great! There's just one thing I need to make clear with you." She paused and reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "No more cigarettes and booze or I'm locking you in the trunk."


	8. Taking a Breather

Author's note: Sorry for the delay, I had a lack of inspiration for a bit and I was working on drawings. Anyway, Donatello, his brothers, and his sister take a well-deserved break from searching. However, one issue that still needs resolution is Raphael's temper...but what happens when it suddenly explodes. The final destination is also revealed, but they encounter a problem in the process. Will everything turn out okay in the end? Rate and review.

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Chapter 8: Taking a Breather

"For the last time, everything's been going well, Mom!" Cheyenne huffed as she stood by the wall of a pit-stop building talking on her cell phone. "We managed to find two of them, and there's just one more left!"

As she stood at the wall of the pit stop, which was the best place she could get signal on her phone, out in the car sat Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael, eagerly waiting for her return so they could figure out their next destination. However, things were a little more tense as of now. When Donatello and his sister found Michelangelo at the circus, Donnie was very happy to have a little brother that he could talk, joke with, and be protective of. This wasn't the case with Raphael…after all, it was hard for the third turtle to shake his old ways, and by old ways meaning overly self-reliant and putting up a wall between himself and the rest of society, even when these were his brothers.

Michelangelo fiddled his thumbs together in his lap, taking notice of Raphael quietly and sullenly next to him in the back seat. He also noticed that Donatello was keeping nervously quiet around their brother, but maybe he could change that. He looked towards the third turtle and cleared his throat.

"Hey Raph…whaddya like to do for fun?"

Raphael didn't answer him right away; he just continued to stare outside the left passenger window at basically nothing. This situation was very awkward for him right now; he was glad to know he had brothers…but he didn't exactly know how to communicate with someone of the same species without screwing up. For his entire life it was just him and his mom, and she homeschooled him and made him stay inside because she didn't want other people making trouble for him. That was part of his reason for developing the 'lone wolf' attitude, and when his mom died, it was every mutant turtle for themselves. Now he was out of Chicago and with two other mutant turtles and a young woman going to look for another brother, not really knowing what to expect out of these people…

"…I don't do much…" Raphael muttered hesitantly. "I just hang out with Spike…or go sit outside when the gangs aren't around…"

The smaller turtle frowned. "That's it? Man, you're a stick in the mud; even Donnie knows how to have fun!"

"Well unlike you guys, I didn't spend my life on display and I certainly didn't have a brother or sister to play with!" The third turtle vented, crossing his arms over his chest. "So don't get on me, stupid!"

Donatello whipped around in his seat. "Hey, don't call him stupid! What's your problem, Raph!? Aren't you happy at all to have someone who cares about you!?"

Raphael just sunk into his seat and wore a deep, almost permanent, scowl as he glared daggers at the taller turtle. "Whoever said I WANTED to come with you guys!? I basically came against my will; you guys practically kidnapped me!"

"No we didn't; you wanted to come! Mikey's not the stupid one here, as far as I can see!"

Once Cheyenne finished up her phone call, she stuck her phone in her pocket and glanced over at the car. The brunette let out a gasp when she saw Raphael lunge from the back seat and start trying to punch Donatello, Michelangelo ducking in his seat in fear. Since bringing Raph along, she feared something like this would happen, but he needed to come with them. She made a mad dash back to the red Kia Soul and flung open the driver's door, quickly diving in and yanking the two turtles apart before any more damage could be done.

"HEY, BREAK IT UP!" Cheyenne shouted. "What's going on here!?"

Donatello wiped away the blood and spit leaking from the corner of his mouth before turning to his sister. "H-He just got mad for no reason! Mikey was just asking him things he liked to do, then he called Mikey stupid, and then…then I told him not to call Mikey stupid and I called Raph stupid…and then he started slugging me!"

The brunette immediately glared at the now-panting Raphael, who slumped back into his seat with widened eyes under her heavy gaze. Cheyenne slammed the driver's door shut and the third turtle let out a yelp when his door opened and the young woman yanked him out the car, despite the people coming in and out of the pit stop. When he was out of the vehicle, he quickly grabbed her hands and flung them off his shoulders, where she had a firm grip on his hoodie.

"Get your freakin' hands OFF me!" Raphael snarled. "Are you CRAZY!?"

Cheyenne frowned deeply. "I don't know what your problem is, but I am NOT going to have you beating up on your brothers like some lowlife bully! Mikey and Donnie were just trying to be nice, and now Mikey's TERRIFIED OF YOU and Donnie's BLEEDING!" She leaned forward and placed her hand on the car. "What do you have to say for yourself!?"

The third turtle growled and tried to shove her away. "Get outta my face! I don't have anything to say to you!"

The brunette sighed and slowly opened the left passenger's door…and then she proceeded to grab him by the arm. She sat down where Raphael was previously sitting and threw him across her lap after she got in. Donatello and Michelangelo stared wide-eyed at their brother sprawled across their sister's lap…and their eyes got even wider when she proceeded to lower his pants and underwear to expose his rear-end. The taller turtle motioned for the smaller turtle to turn his head away, because he knew what was coming. After all…he went through the same thing when he was about five and he ripped up some of Cheyenne's drawings. Just thinking about it made his butt sting…

"W-What the hell are you doing!?" Raphael screamed.

Cheyenne didn't answer. Instead…she raised her hand up in the air…and brought it back down on the third turtle's rear-end with a loud SMACK, causing him to cry out in pain. Raphael balled his hands up into fists as he felt the hand come down on his butt once again, feeling as though someone took a cattle prod at full force to his skin. He felt a third and final smack to his rear-end…all three so painful that tears were in his eyes and he was gasping for air.

"Now…apologize to your brothers." She suddenly looked at Donnie and Mikey. "As for you two, and this goes for Raph as well…I will not have anyone calling anybody stupid, even if it's out of anger. Do I make myself clear?"

Donatello nodded. "Y-You got it…"

Cheyenne got Raphael up and made him sit back in his seat, even though he didn't want to sit down at all after getting a spanking…especially one from a GIRL. He avoided everyone's gaze as he hurriedly put his seatbelt back on, staring out the window with burning eyes as he could hear the brunette getting back into the driver's seat and starting up the car. He stared down at his feet, too afraid of getting yet another spanking, before he glanced over at Michelangelo. The smaller turtle stared at him awkwardly, thinking it was somewhat-scary but somewhat-amusing that his brother was whipped by their sister. Finally, on the verge of crying, Raphael stared over at his brother.

"Mikey…I-I'm sorry…" Raphael sniffled.

Michelangelo blinked at the third turtle suddenly not acting so tough…instead just looking like a little kid afraid of the dark. Maybe this was how he really was…after all, his mother was practically murdered and he was left scared and alone. With a sympathetic smile, Mikey reached over and hugged his brother, startling him. "It's okay, Raphie. I forgive you…"

Raphael sniffled and stared over at Donatello, who stared out his window. "D-Donnie…I'm really sorry… C-Can you forgive me…?"

Donatello stared at him for a moment, not saying a word to anyone and wiping his mouth with a tissue, before letting out a sigh and answering somberly, "Yeah…no hard feelings…" He paused and handed him a clean tissue from the front seat. "Trust me…I've been through that before…and she did it because she loves you."

* * *

"Okay, that's one sweet onion chicken teriyaki for Donnie, one meatball marinara for Mikey, one Philly cheese steak for Raph, and one buffalo chicken for me!" Cheyenne stated as she sat down four subs from Subway in front of her and the turtles. "Eat up, everybody!"

Everyone but Raphael was currently digging into their lunch, which consisted of subs, chips including Doritos and baked Lays, and drinks ranging from Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, sweet tea, and Pepsi. Donatello had to hand Michelangelo a napkin when he got marinara sauce all over his cheeks and lips and almost got some on the car seat. Cheyenne was getting ready to take another bite of hers when she noticed from the rearview mirror the third turtle not touching his food. She swallowed the bite she currently had in her mouth and asked, "Raph, what's wrong? Aren't you hungry?"

Raphael glanced up but quickly ducked away from her gaze. After seeing her temper, he didn't want to take any chances, and he certainly didn't want to make trouble for her or the other turtles. The brunette knew why he was upset, but she knew he didn't need to get away with his bad behavior, even if Mikey and Donnie egged him on. Still…he didn't need to be terrified of her.

"Raph…come on, what's bothering you? You can tell me…"

The third turtle's hands started shaking, almost dropping his sandwich, before he managed to mumble out, "…I'm sorry…"

Donatello and Michelangelo joined in to look at him, both of them having sauce dripping from the corners of their lips. Cheyenne continued to stare at him when she asked, "What are you sorry for?"

Raphael started to sniffle again, despite how much he was trying to fight it and hold it in; he just couldn't hold back his emotions anymore and it was driving him crazy. His green eyes locked with her teal ones through the mirror and me muttered, "…Sorry I've been such an ass… I don't wanna cause trouble anymore…and if you wanna drop me off somewhere…I-I'm okay with that…"

The brunette gasped and turned around in her seat to really look at him…to look him in the face and especially look him in the eyes. The other turtles were equally shocked by his sudden display; why would he think they wanted to drop him off at some random location just because he didn't know how he wanted to express his feelings? All of them watched the young woman leap out of the car, causing Raphael to flinch because he thought he was going to get another round of discipline. Sure enough, his door swung open and she reached for his arm…but it wasn't a rough jerk…she took his arm gently this time. He just deadened his weight, still intimidated, and allowed himself to be pulled out of the vehicle. He still didn't know what to expect…and then…

Cheyenne leaned forward and gave him a tight hug.

Raphael stared wide-eyed at her…out of pure shock. It was strange…but it felt so warm; he never felt something so warm in his life, not even from his mother. And the young woman refused to let go…not until she made everything clear.

"Raph…don't you dare think like that." She whispered to him. "We would never abandon you…we would never abandon family. You're my little brother too…just like Donnie and Mikey…"

"…Little…brother…?"

"Yeah…you're all my brothers, even if we aren't the same species…" She paused and patted him on the back where his shell was. "Everything's going to be okay…so enough of the self-torture…promise?"

The third turtle stood still and stood silent for a moment, still taking in at how warm the brunette's touch was to his body…and how comforting it was. Hesitating at first, he finally leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, feeling tears starting to form in his eyes. He stayed perfectly still as Cheyenne raised her head and planted a kiss on his. She let of him and patted him on the back of his shoulder. "Now you'd better eat up…you need your strength."

Raphael nodded and got back in his seat, instantly grabbing his sandwich and biting into it before it got cold. Cheyenne was glad his appetite returned, so now they could get back on the road and look for the final turtle…but where was this one? Apparently, Donatello was curious about that the most.

"So Chey…what's our final destination?"

The brunette smirked. "Have you seriously been watching those movies? Let me see…" She pulled out the paper with the addresses and looked at the one that wasn't checked off. As soon as her eyes caught it…her smirk faded and her eyes widened. "Oh God…"

"What's wrong?" The taller turtle asked.

The human showed him the paper so he could share her reaction. "…It's all the way across the country…in California…"

Michelangelo almost spit out his Mountain Dew. "CALIFORNIA!? That's where Hollywood is, right!? Like all the movie stars and theme parks and stuff!? WOOHOO!"

"Mikey, you don't understand!" Donatello retorted. "California's too far away! We don't have enough money for gas to get us there, and it's not like we can board a plane! With the security even tighter these days, three mutant turtles just can't waltz onto a plane like that!"

The smaller turtle's smile faded and he looked down. "…So what do we do?"

Cheyenne thought for a moment on the sudden pickle they were in. California was indeed too far away, and she couldn't afford gas for a two-way trip. But even with that…she wouldn't give up on reuniting the brothers…her brothers. Finally…something clicked. She knew someone who could help…and she began looking up the number of that person.

"…What are you doing?" Raphael suddenly asked when he noticed her looking through the phone contact list.

Cheyenne pressed the call button on one of the numbers. "Using one of my connections…" She paused to let it ring for a few seconds until a voice picked up on the other end. "Hello, Erika? It's me, Chey. I have a question…do your parents still use that fancy RV you always told me about? …Okay, do you still have it? …Good…because I have a favor to ask…a BIG one…"

The three turtles started glancing at each other after the brunette mentioned an RV. Donatello always heard Cheyenne talk about Erika before; she was a Korean-American girl she met during her first year of college and became good friends with, though not as close as her friends Anna and Kaitlyn. Now that he remembered, Erika once resided in California, even though she spent a majority of her infancy in Seoul, South Korea. If there was the possibility of Erika knowing the address and showing them how to reach it…then that would help them so much and get them to their brother or sister quicker.

"Psst…what's she talking about?" Michelangelo whispered.

"…She's found a way to make our situation a little easier…" Donatello answered.


	9. The Good Son, Part 1

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, but here's chapter 9, and this chapter is a two-parter. Anyway, the gang goes to California to search for Turtle Number 4, and we get to see some more bonding time among them, along with more interaction with Spike. When they arrive, they encounter a threat...but is it really a threat? Or is it someone they're looking for. There's some Japanese phrases in her: Yame means stop and Dochira sama desuka means who are you. Rate and review!

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Chapter 9: The Good Son, Part 1

"I promise I'll pay the gas when I get the chance, okay?"

"Don't worry about it! We barely use this thing anymore ever since the falling out with my sister; burning some gas won't hurt it. Besides, you guys need it the most, and I promise to look after your car!"

The three turtles stared from the inside of a luxurious RV, one that was obviously barely used, and watched as Cheyenne conversed with a Korean-American girl; this was indeed the brunette's friend Erika Soongnan. Erika apparently knew that Cheyenne's brother was a mutant turtle, as indicated by her fawning over them when she first saw them. It made Donatello and Raphael uncomfortable, but Michelangelo basked in the attention. Speaking of whom, the smaller turtle found a bunk bed of sorts in the RV and immediately went for the top bunk. Raphael crossed his arms and stared up at his brother.

"Careful up there Mikey!" The rougher turtle commanded. "Don't want ya to crack your skull!"

"What, you're worried about me?" Mikey asked in surprise. "And here I thought you only had a soft spot for Spike!"

Raph blushed a little; he held in the urge to pummel Michelangelo because he didn't want to face Cheyenne's wrath again. Still…it felt good to care about someone besides his pet turtle. He glanced over at Donatello, who was standing right behind the driver's seat, where their sister would be occupying shortly once she got done talking to her friend. The taller turtle noticed a small kitchen set in the middle of the RV; was this really an RV or a tour bus? He sat down at the table and stared out the window. They were finally down to looking for their final sibling…what would they be like? Did this one grow up in a rough situation too? Or did they actually find a great family like he did? Would they be cool, smart, funny, nice? He had so many questions about it that he didn't notice his sister coming into the RV and hopping into the driver's seat.

"All right boys, ready to go?" Cheyenne asked from over her shoulder.

"We're totally ready!" Michelangelo shouted from his spot on the top bunk.

The brunette nodded and started up the engine, Raphael quickly taking a seat across from Donatello with Spike in tow. The human made sure to fire up the GPS and punch in the coordinates that Erika gave her; the Korean girl after all knew California like the back of her hand. She wasn't used to driving this kind of vehicle, so she would take it a little slow, hopefully arriving in California in less than a week. She would stay up during the night as much as she could to make the trip shorter, but if she felt too sleep-deprived, she would pull over and sleep; the last thing she wanted was to put the boys in danger. Whenever sleep was needed, she would take the second set of bunk beds where Donatello would sleep…but she would take the front seat once they found turtle number four.

Turtle number four…she had a hunch they would be a boy…so she would become the older sister to four younger brothers. Would she be able to handle having no one, but FOUR brothers? She thought about that for a moment…but then she smiled.

Yeah…she could handle it.

* * *

"Raph?" Mikey whispered from the top bunk as he looked down. "Raphie? You awake?"

Raphael stirred and let out a soft moan, hugging Spike closer to his chest as he was trying to stay asleep. Unfortunately, Michelangelo felt like staying up and trying to wake everybody else up. Well, he wasn't the only one awake; Cheyenne was still awake at the wheel but he could tell she was going to pull over soon to get herself some sleep. Donatello was fast asleep across from them, and the darker turtle hoped that his little brother would just leave him alone and go to sleep himself. However, that wouldn't be the case tonight…at least not until Mikey got some sort of attention from him.

"Raphie, wake up! I can't be the only one awake here!"

Raphael finally grumbled and forced his eyes to open, only to be looking up at the huge smile Michelangelo had plastered on his lips. Great…he could tell that the smaller turtle wanted to do nothing but talk to him…most likely all through the night. Breathing a deep sigh…he knew he would have to go along with this; it was time to put his deep-seeded anger aside and be nice for Mikey's sake…

"…What is it, Mikey?" Raph asked in a tired voice.

"Whaddya wanna do first when we get to California? We definitely gotta hit the beaches; I've always wanted to surf! I also wanna meet the movie stars and get some autographs!"

The darker turtle sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "Hate to burst your bubble…but we can't go to the beaches in public. How do ya think people will react to a mutant turtle waltzing around on the sand?" He paused when he saw his little brother whine softly. "Autographs…maybe…just as long as we stick close to Cheyenne. But you have to ask her first, and remember our main thing is finding our brother…"

"I know…and I can't wait to meet him!" Michelangelo suddenly noticed Donatello fast asleep in the other bed. "Let's wake Donnie and ask him what he wants to do!"

Raphael glared at him, which caused the freckled turtle to draw back. "I don't think so…let Donnie sleep. You can ask him in the morning, okay?"

Mikey pouted for a moment before plopping back down on his bed and muttering, "…Okay…" He was silent for a good moment before he raised back up and asked his brother, "Hey Raph…how did you get Spike anyway?"

Raph was surprised by the question; no one ever cared enough about Spike except him to even bring up that question. He petted the turtle on the shell before looking up at his younger brother. "Well…I was hiding from some of the gang members one day in the Chicago sewers on my way home…and I found him trapped in some debris. From what I could tell…someone tried to flush him; he was just a baby back then. This was after I lost my mom…and he became the only family I had…until you guys came along…"

The two suddenly heard some quiet chuckling and they turned their heads to the front of the RV, where Cheyenne was seated behind the wheel. She had pulled over and turned off the engine, stretching her arms and legs before stating, "When I first saw you Raphael…I knew you weren't all bad…you just needed someone. Saving Spike from sewer debris just proves how sweet you really are."

Raphael blushed and just laid back down, hugging Spike back to his chest. Cheyenne just giggled before letting out a yawn and climbing up to the bed above Donatello. She smiled at the taller turtle and turned her attention to the smaller turtle. "Go to sleep Mikey, okay? We'll get to California before you know it."

"Okay, Sis!" Mikey smiled before plopping down on the bed and falling fast asleep.

Cheyenne smiled and slowly laid her body on the mattress and pulling the covers up to her shoulders. She closed her eyes…but still kept herself alert just in case any danger was nearby that threatened her or her brothers…

* * *

"Wake up boys! Breakfast is ready!"

All three turtles moaned as they opened their eyes…but they became more alert when a pleasant smell hit their nostrils. Donatello was the first to focus his eyes, and he saw Cheyenne at the kitchenette stove fixing what looked like scrambled eggs and bacon. Where did the food come from? Wait…he remembered that the brunette discovered the refrigerator stocked with food, apparently another gift from Erika. It seemed like there was enough for everyone, but she would want to leave some for turtle number four during their trip back to Kentucky. Yeah…they would be going home before going to New York…it was close to Christmas, after all.

"Aw right, breakfast!" Mikey cheered once he was fully awake. "I'm first in line!"

Raphael grabbed Michelangelo by the shirt collar, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Not so fast, freckles. Let the lady go first; she cooked our breakfast, after all."

Cheyenne chuckled. "My, aren't you the gentleman, Raphael? If you say so."

The brunette laid out plates and went first as Raphael suggested. She filled her plate and grabbed a glass filled with pomegranate juice. She also took the time to fix some orange juice for Donnie, milk for Mikey, and grapefruit juice for Raph. She waited for the boys to fill their plates before she sat down, the turtles following suit behind her. Michelangelo was about to shove his fork into the eggs when he met Donatello's glare. Why was he glaring at him? Cheyenne's response answered that question.

"We say grace first, Mikey." She turned to Donatello. "Donnie, would you like to do the honors?"

Donatello nodded and clasped his hands together before bowing his head. Michelangelo copied the pose and Raphael did it as well, despite not being a religious person. The taller turtle breathed a sigh before stating, "Lord, we thank you for this meal and that it will give us strength…and thank you that we'll finally be able to find our final brother…and thank you for helping us find our family…in your Holy name we pray. Amen."

Everyone raised their heads and finally got to dig into their food. Michelangelo literally inhaled the food and guzzled his milk, dribbling some onto his t-shirt. Raphael gave him a funny look before slowly eating his food and taking small sips of his grapefruit juice. Donatello ate quietly beside his sister, while the brunette paused in her eating to observe the smaller turtle.

"Mikey, don't eat so fast; you're going to get choked." She scolded him. "And if you drink your milk too fast, you'll get the diarrhea."

Michelangelo paused before wearing a sheepish smile. "Sorry Sis…"

Cheyenne suddenly gasped and got up from the table. "Oh, I almost forgot! Little Spike needs some breakfast too!"

She went to the fridge and pulled out a head of fresh lettuce, slightly dripping with water as a result of refrigerator condensation. She peeled off a few leaves and put them on a plate, holding it while she fetched the turtle from Raphael's bed. She sat the turtle in front of the small television set next to the table and placed the plate of lettuce in front of him…and surely but slowly, the turtle started eating. Raphael smiled at how much she took animals into consideration.

"Thanks…" Raphael smiled shyly.

"Hey Donnie…what's yours and Sis's mom and dad like?" Mikey asked. "You haven't really told us about 'em."

Donatello sat down his fork onto his plate and swallowed his food before answering. "Well…our mom used to work at a factory, but she ended up getting fired after our dad got sick…it was due to attendance because of our visits to the hospital. She 's nice…but she's a little clingy at times. As for our dad, he used to be a teacher, but of course his sickness forced him to retire, mostly because he didn't need to have any more stress. It was a little stroke, but it only took his peripheral vision. We've got limited income now, but Cheyenne works odd jobs and I have a tech support job on the side."

"Sounds like other than that, you guys have a pretty good life!"

Cheyenne smiled…but something was off in her eyes concerning that remark; why would it seem she disagreed with Michelangelo's compliment? Nevertheless, she just simply answered, "Yeah…we've had it pretty well all these years. You guys will enjoy it once we go home!"

Raphael stared out the window before focusing his attention to Spike and petting his shell. "So…there's no going back to our old lives, huh? We'll be…starting fresh…" He breathed a deep sigh and nodded. "It feels weird…but it's a good thing…right?"

"Of course, Raph." Donatello agreed. "It'll be even better once we get to California and find our brother…or sister…it would feel weird to have another sister."

* * *

"Are we there YET?" Michelangelo asked as he quickly became bored from playing poker with Donatello and Raphael.

"Almost Mikey…we're about at the Nevada/California border; just be patient." Cheyenne called from the driver's seat before glancing back at the boys. "And you guys better not be playing STRIP POKER!"

The turtles looked at each other for a moment before hurriedly putting back on whatever clothes they had laid out on the edges of the table before their sister could notice from the huge rearview mirror. Well, so much for seeing who could get down to their underwear…though Donatello didn't even want his brothers to know that he wore…rocket ship underwear… Michelangelo didn't want his brothers to get a whiff of his underwear, but Raphael didn't care either way as he wore boxers. It made the latter wonder if the brunette ever wore frilly underwear or even lingerie. Of course if he wondered that out-loud, he would get yet another spanking.

"Have you got enough money for the toll?" Donatello asked when he remembered the multiple toll booth they had to cross at the state borders. "If you don't, I'll get my wallet."

"Nah, it's okay; I've got enough!" The brunette assured. "We're coming up on the booth right now!"

The turtles hurriedly placed their hats and hoods on as they approached the toll booth, where their sister offered a polite smile and wave to the middle-aged woman tending the money flowing in, and the young woman calmly dropped change into the slot, which caused the gate to automatically lift open. As the RV cruised forward, Michelangelo waved at the booth woman and flashed a huge grin, which caused Raphael to punch him on the shoulder. The smaller turtle was about the retaliate, but then…

"Guys…take a look!" Cheyenne called as she pointed to the windshield. "Welcome to California!"

Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo got up from the table and ran up behind her to look out the windshield, despite the fact they almost fell over because of the moving vehicle. The turtles stared in awe; so many cities, so many people, so many cars…would they be going through Hollywood? Santa Monica? San Diego? The excitement was building up in all of them to the point that they were about to burst.

"So…is turtle number four located in the city?"

Cheyenne thought for a moment, remembering the address and what Erika told her. "No…they won't be in the city. If I remember right, the Rocky Mountains extend into California, and there's a few communities there…including a couple Japanese communities."

"They're all the way up in the mountains?" Michelangelo asked in disbelief.

"More than likely, more towards the base, so we don't have to do much climbing." She suddenly glanced at them and flashed a cheeky grin. "Besides, climbing will do you guys good; you need to work off that pizza you ate!"

"What about you?" Raphael asked, crossing his arms. "You ate more than we did!"

Cheyenne just offered a smug grin. "I have better metabolism."

* * *

"How much more do we have to go?" Michelangelo whined. "My feet are KILLING me!"

"Quit complaining, Freckles." Raphael growled before smacking him on the back of the head. "You'll make the trip even more grueling."

"Would you guys quit complaining?" Donatello moaned. "We're not climbing the whole mountain range!"

Cheyenne sighed and glanced over at the turtles. After a few hours in heavy traffic, she managed to make it to the mountain range. Once the RV was parked and locked, she and the turtles proceeded on foot, going from door-to-door at the secluded houses and communes to question if they had seen any strange figures…besides themselves, of course. One resident, seeing as how she was of the same mindset as him, admitted that he caught a glimpse of a strange green figure towards the house of an old Japanese couple. The four proceeded to thank this stranger before heading off in the direction of the given house. Though they had big three-toed feet, they were fortunate to be wearing shoes, as the rocky terrain would definitely give them blisters…or worse.

"Don't worry guys…" Cheyenne reassured. "We're almost there…I can see the roof of the house."

Donnie let out a sigh. "Ahh…FINALLY…"

As the group continued to make their way, Cheyenne noticed a few persimmon trees planted around the vicinity. Persimmons…she heard they were popular in Japan, but she had never eaten any. And for a moment…she could've sworn she saw something…or SOMEONE…hidden in one of the trees. Maybe she was tired and her eyes were playing tricks on her…but it was good to give your gut instincts a chance, especially in unfamiliar territory.

Then the rustling started…

"W-What was that!?" Mikey jumped.

Raph sweated but was able to remain calm. "I-It was probably just a squirrel or something…"

Donnie stared at the vegetation around the area. "…I don't know if you'd find a squirrel near mountains…"

More rustling started. The turtles jumped, but Cheyenne was prepared for whatever what trying to frighten them. She pulled out one of her guns and kept her right index finger on the trigger, fighting not to squeeze it at the slightest noise. Who was threatening them with this petty sneaking around? Whoever they were, they would soon know better than to mess with a young woman protecting her brothers.

"Come out and show yourself!" Cheyenne shouted. "Enough of the sneaking around!"

The one doing the sneaking around apparently obeyed, as a dark blue flash leapt from one of the persimmon trees and landed in front of them. The four of them stood frozen for a moment…and all of them let out a choked gasp when they got a good look at this potential attacker.

Mutant turtle number four.

This one had skin that was an asparagus green, only a tad darker. He stood in a dark blue hakama with a lighter-blue sash, and he was wearing a pair of geta large enough for his feet. His sapphire-blue eyes glared at them as he held out a wooden practice sword at these strange people…

"Yame!" He shouted, apparently fluent in Japanese. "Dochira sama desuka!?"


	10. The Good Son, Part 2

Author's Note: After a long wait, here's Chapter 10. After meeting Leonardo, the turtles and their sister visit with the Ancient One, Leo's adoptive father, to learn the troubled history between Hamato Yoshi and Oroku Saki. And when they formulate a plan to train and prepare themselves to face the Shredder, will Donatello be able to handle it? I have a few Japanese translations here: Konnichiwa=hello, Watashi no namae wa...desu=my name is, Onamae wa nan desuka= what is your name, Hajime mashite=nice to meet you, Eigo wo hanase masu ka= do you speak English. Rate and review!

* * *

Chapter 10: The Good Son, Part 2

"W-What did he say to us?" Michelangelo whispered to his brothers and sister.

"How the hell should I know!?" Raphael spat. "I can't speak freakin' Japanese!"

Donatello blinked nervously before he decided to answer the question. "H-He asked who we are…he thinks we're intruders."

Raph and Mikey stared at each other before whipping their heads back to staring wide-eyed at Donnie. The rougher turtle suddenly narrowed his eyes when he asked, "Wait, you know Japanese!? Can you talk to him!?"

The taller turtle gulped. "Chey and I both know Japanese…b-but mine's a bit rusty…"

"Sounds more like you're just too scared!" The rougher turtle retaliated.

Cheyenne suddenly held up her hand towards the three, the gesture immediately silencing them. After flashing a warning glare, she whispered to them, "Donnie's Japanese IS rusty…so I'll talk to him, okay? You guys just stay back in case things start to get rough."

The other three turtles nodded and watched as the brunette put her pistol away and slowly began to approach turtle number four. He didn't put down his wooden sword…but even though they were strangers, he could see in the eyes of the woman that she meant no harm. Still…it was better to be safe than sorry. Cheyenne kept a safe distance from him and held up her hand.

"Konnichiwa, kame-san!" The brunette greeted. "Watashi no namae wa Cheyenne desu. Onamae wa nan desuka?"

The sword-wielding turtle lowered his weapon ever so slightly and stared at her; so she was bilingual like him. "Watashi no namae wa Leonardo desu… Hajime mashite."

Cheyenne smiled…but she knew she couldn't speak Japanese forever; she and Donatello were still learning it. So…looks like she would have to take a chance. She cleared her throat and asked plainly, "Eigo wo hanase masu ka?"

Leonardo's eyes widened, but he calmed down a bit and nodded. "Yes…I speak English…I speak English and Japanese perfectly well."

The other turtles breathed a sigh of relief, feeling even better when the fourth lowered his weapon completely. Cheyenne ushered them forward and gestured for them to take off their hoods and hats to reveal their faces. The turtles complied and slowly revealed their true faces to the other turtle…to their brother. Leonardo gasped and his blue eyes glued themselves to what he could clearly see were other members of his species.

"Leonardo…" The brunette began. "I'd like you to meet Donatello…Michelangelo…and Raphael…your brothers."

"…Brothers?" The blue-eyed turtle asked in disbelief. "So…it's true…I'm not the only one of my kind…"

Michelangelo immediately ran up to Leonardo, his sky-blue eyes sparkling with wonder. "Are you a ninja or something? Or a samurai!? If you are, that's so COOL! Teach me everything you know, dude!"

Raphael grunted as he walked up behind the smaller turtle and smacked him on the back of the head. "Give him room to breathe, Freckles. He's still takin' everything in."

Donatello was the next to speak…feeling it was wiser for someone calmer to speak to Leonardo, as the blue-clad turtle was in a state of awe and shock. "Um…I'm sorry if this is so sudden…but we had to find you and let you know we exist." He glanced at the top of the hill towards the Japanese-style house. "Is that where you live?"

Leonardo didn't say anything at first; he just nodded his head. "Y-Yes…please…come with me to my residence…"

* * *

"So…are you Leonardo-kun's 'father'?" Cheyenne asked the elder Japanese man sitting across from her.

The short-statured and somewhat-overweight man nodded, stroking his long beard. "Yes…my name is Mizuchi Korosuke…but you may refer to me as Mizuchi-san or Koro-sama." He suddenly paused and chuckled. "However, the local children like to refer to me as the 'Ancient One'."

The brunette nodded as she proceeded to take another bite of the ganmodoki in front of her. "Ancient One…you don't look THAT old." She glanced over at Leonardo. "So…how was it you came to have Leonardo, if you don't mind my asking."

Koro-sama, the Ancient One, stared over at the mutant turtle he called his son as he was trying to teach Raphael and Michelangelo how to eat with chopsticks. Donatello seemed to be having no trouble, thanks in part to his and his sister's trips to the Chinese buffets. "It was fifteen years ago. A knock resounded on our door…and when I opened it, I saw Leonardo-kun wrapped tightly in a blue blanket…carrying an amulet of the Hamato clan…but I did not get to see the person who left him here; I only saw a flash of silver."

"Wait!" Donnie suddenly cried out. "You know about the Hamato clan? Does that mean…do you happen to know Hamato Yoshi?"

The Ancient One stared at the turtles and their sister silently before nodding and giving a somber sigh. "Yes…I knew Yoshi…as if he was my own son…but I also knew Oroku Saki. He is the reason you are here, is it not?"

"Partly…" Cheyenne answered. "Our main objective was to reunite everyone and try to find Yoshi…and if possible…stop Oroku Saki."

"You have accomplished the first part of your mission, madam." The Ancient One concluded. "But I am afraid now is where your journey will be much more challenging. Defeating Oroku Saki is not that simple…not until you first understand the past."

"Father…" Leonardo started. "What caused this conflict between Yoshi and Saki? Why does Saki hate the Hamato clan so much?"

The Japanese man got up from his cushion and decided to explain to everyone once and for all the origin of the conflict that brought them together. "Yoshi and Saki were not always enemies…they started out as close friends…almost like brothers. I actually…taught them the basics of Ninjitsu before they went on to learn the techniques exclusive to their clans. Yoshi and Saki were friends since childhood…and they served together during war."

"So…what made them stop being friends?" Raphael asked, his curiosity heightened.

The Ancient One's expression changed to sadness, almost as if he was grieving. "Tell me this, young ones…what is one thing capable of tearing two men who had the bond of brothers apart?"

Michelangelo tilted his head to the side. "They fought over who was the better fighter?"

Cheyenne immediately knew what it was…she saw with her own eyes far too many times what it did to friends, evident when she lowered her head. "A woman…"

"That is correct…everything changed when they met a young woman named Tang Shen." The Ancient One nodded as he turned his back to them. "She was as beautiful as they came…and Yoshi and Saki fought over her constantly. Their friendship crumbled into a bitter rivalry, all to win Shen's heart. In the end…she chose Yoshi, because he saw her as his true love, not as a trophy to be won."

"I was rooting for Yoshi all the way!" Mikey exclaimed. "So…what happened after that?"

"Yoshi and Shen ended up marrying…and they ended up having a daughter. If I remember correctly…they named her Miwa."

"Miwa…beautiful harmony…" Donatello muttered to himself. "That's a beautiful name."

"Saki's rage boiled over when he learned they brought a child into the world. He believed Yoshi obtained the life he thought was rightfully his. And then…one night…things came to a head. Saki stormed into their home and decided to put an end to his old friend once and for all…along with everything they held dear…"

Leonardo's eyes widened. "Father…you mean…"

The Ancient One nodded. "The Hamato home was set ablaze…and Saki slaughtered Tang Shen. The way her body was when taken to the morgue…that is how we began referring to Saki…as the Shredder."

"W-What about Yoshi…and Miwa?" Raph asked, his eyes wide.

"…Yoshi came out mostly unscathed…but they could not find Miwa's body…only Tang Shen's. After her funeral…knowing that Saki was still after him…Yoshi and I parted ways after we both came to America. He went to New York…and I came here to California. The last I heard from him was fifteen years ago…and I believe it coincides with the time in which the four of you came to be…" He suddenly cast his eyes down. "I fear that the Shredder found him…and he may be long-dead."

"Maybe not, Ancient One." Cheyenne interjected. "Donatello had dreams of a rat-man…and the rat man looked like a Japanese man. I believe…Yoshi may be alive…but no longer human. What if there's the possibility that the Shredder's kept him alive all these years until he could find the boys so he could get rid of them all at once? I know it sounds farfetched…but it's probable that wherever in New York the Shredder is…we'll find Yoshi."

The Ancient One stroked his beard in contemplation. "You may have a point, madam. However…none of you are yet prepared to face the Shredder…but I have a solution." He focused his eyes on all four turtles. "I have trained Leonardo-kun in the art of Ninjitsu since he was a toddler…and so he and I can train the rest of you in the art to face the Shredder once and for all."

Donatello suddenly chuckled. "Oh…I don't think Sissy will need training…she was able to take Raph down, after all." He turned to his sister. "Wanna demonstrate?"

"Uh…sure." She turned to Leonardo. "Would you be willing to spar with me, Leo?"

Leonardo blinked. "Oh…o-of course…I just don't want to hurt you…"

"Don't worry…and don't even think of going easy on me just because I'm a woman."

The two of them got up and walked a safe distance away from the table. Leonardo set his wooden practice swords on the floor and doubled his hands into fists. Cheyenne meanwhile took off her holster and placed it on a seat before standing straight and holding her open palms in front of her face. The moment the brunette winked one of her teal eyes, Leonardo charged forward and began moving his fists towards her face and torso. He landed one or two blows onto her collarbone and stomach, but when he reached for another blow, she ducked down and fought back by taking the edge of her palm and swinging it upwards, looking more like she slapped him.

"Whoa, that's outrageous!" Mikey awed.

The Ancient One's eyes widened. "…Koppo-justu!? But…those are techniques for…"

Leo was able to land a leg sweep and knocked Cheyenne to her knees. However, just as he was about to land an overhead blow, she immediately grabbed him and flipped him over. Then, when he got back up, she charged forward and used her palms to hit him in the middle of his plastron and knock him backwards. Leo immediately fell back, gasping for air. The other turtles and the Ancient One stared in shock at the force she displayed…but it still seemed the two were on equal footing when the brunette fell back to her knees and panted.

"…And Aikido…turning his attacks against him."

* * *

"Sorry about that over-the-top beat-down…" Cheyenne sheepishly apologized. "I really meant to be gentle."

Leonardo just sat quietly at the table, holding a bag of ice to his neck, before answering, "It's all right…I've been through worse. I apologize if I left any bruises; I've never fought against a girl before; it's always just been myself and the Ancient One."

"No mother figure…huh…" The brunette seemed to lament. "Haven't you ever wondered what it was like to have a mom?"

The blue-eyed turtle sat for a moment before casting his eyes down; it seemed she touched a nerve, though he wasn't angry. Leonardo asked himself that quite a few times but felt it wasn't a matter important enough to bring up to his father. With a sigh, he spoke again. "Well…I have wondered how my life would be different if I had a mother…but I guess I've turned out all right." He suddenly put the ice pack down and started wringing his hands. "S-Still…"

The human stared at him, unsure of what to say or what to do to give him a little more optimism. Leo was good at hiding his emotions, but this issue was making that demeanor falter and put him on the verge of depression. Her eyes caught a glimpse of innocence in his eyes, something you didn't see in boys his age much anymore, unless you counted Michelangelo. Without warning, she didn't even realize her body was moving, the brunette leaned forward and gave Leonardo a hug.

Leo was at first troubled by this display of affection; his father didn't hug him that much even though he knew he loved him. But then the trouble melted away and was replaced by another, warmer emotion: comfort. He literally felt himself becoming warm from the comfort and he didn't want to forget the feeling.

"I know I'm not exactly a mother type…but I think you can make do with a big sister."

"Sister…that…that sounds nice…"

The brunette let go of the blue-eyed turtle, sitting awkwardly for a moment, before clearing her throat and asking suddenly, "So…do you have any hobbies? Besides Ninjitsu, of course…"

Leonardo suddenly blushed and gazed at her. "W-Well…there is…one thing…"

The turtle suddenly got up, prompting the human to follow; was he taking her to his room? She didn't exactly feel comfortable for a moment; unless they were family or she knew them for a long time, she did not feel comfortable in a boy's room. Sure, Leonardo was family, but she didn't know him long at all, and she didn't really know how taking a girl to your room played out in Japanese culture. Did he already have a…crush on her? She held herself steady as he opened the door to his room and turned on the light.

Well…this was unexpected.

"…Space Heroes?"

Leo nodded, a blush on his face. So THIS was why he was acting so nervous. She knew about this show; it was a rip-off of Star Trek that actually became popular back in the 70s, so it was something she didn't expect to be popular to someone in 2013. But if it was something he truly liked, then she had no problem with it; she had hobbies herself that other people found weird.

"D-Don't laugh, okay?" Leonardo mumbled. "I-I know it's weird…but…Space Heroes is awesome! Captain Ryan is the best!" He turned back to her. "Y-You don't think that's weird…do you?"

Cheyenne shook her head and smiled. "Of course not! You should see some of the stuff I have at my place…of course, I'm sure you'll like it!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…I'm going to talk with the Ancient One about letting you come home to my family for Christmas…you know, meet my parents and spend quality time with us."

Leo's eyes widened. "…Do you think he'll agree to it? Will I…be living with you permanently?"

"We won't know until we ask…but he'll probably speak with me in private."

* * *

"How long have they been talking?" Michelangelo asked as he stared at a set of closed doors that led to the Ancient One's quarters.

"It's been going on for a couple of hours." Donatello whispered back. "I hope everything's okay…"

Raphael had been sitting down on the floor, forced to watch stuff on a Japanese channel because it had been long since he last worked a television, but he let out a growl and got onto his feet. "I can't take much more of this! I'm goin' in there and seein' if they're done yet or what!"

Leonardo suddenly came forward and stopped the green-eyed turtle from doing something he would most likely regret. "No…let them finish speaking. Be patient…they should be done soon."

Raph blew out a frustrated sigh before plopping back down on the floor and crossing his arms; was now really the time to pout? But the others understood his frustration because they didn't expect Cheyenne and the Ancient One to be discussing the current issue of if Leonardo could go or not…among other things…for this long. Couldn't it have been a simple yes or no question? Why did it have to turn into a two-hour long discussion? They were about to head outside to find something to do to occupy their time when the sliding doors suddenly opened. The turtles rushed back towards them and saw Cheyenne and the Ancient One exiting, both of them having stern looks on their faces.

"So…how did it go?" Donatello asked his sister.

For a moment, no one said anything or even moved. Finally, Cheyenne wore a smile on her face…but it was somewhat sad. "Leo's coming home for Christmas."

Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo jumped into the air and cheered, suddenly wrapping their arms around their brother. Leonardo was caught off-guard, but a smile appeared on his lips and took in the brotherly embrace.

"But…"

The turtles suddenly ceased their celebration. "But…what?" Michelangelo asked, noticing how downtrodden the brunette appeared all of a sudden.

"…After we celebrate Christmas…we have to come back here…and I have to leave you here with the Ancient One…ALL of you."

The taller turtle's eyes widened and he felt his chest becoming tight, his heart racing and threatening to jump out. "…ALL of us? W-Why?"

"…Training…so you guys can be ready to fight Oroku Saki…but I won't get to be here with you." She paused and glanced over at the Ancient One before turning back to the turtles. "Since you guys saw I'm capable of fending for myself…I don't need training…but you guys do."

That's when Donatello started to panic; he couldn't imagine himself being separated from his sister. This was just too much, but what other choice did they have?

"…H-How long will we be staying here?"

"…Probably a month or two…maybe more…it all depends on how well you progress with training." She paused and walked towards her brothers. "So…when we go home for Christmas…let's all make it memorable…okay?"

Donnie was on the verge of crying…and the other turtles understood that this new development would be the hardest on him. They only knew Cheyenne for a short time…but he had been with her his entire life. It was easy to tell that he suffered from some degree of separation anxiety; they couldn't even imagine how he was whenever she had to go to school. But maybe this is what he needed; he couldn't lean on her forever. He had to learn to stand up on his own two feet, and maybe spending time with his brothers would help him learn to break his dependency on his sister.

"Yeah…we'll…we'll make it the best Christmas yet…"


End file.
